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APRIL 2011
| West Michigan Edition | www.NaturalWestMichigan.com natural awakenings
April 2011
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contents 11
10 globalbriefs 11 healthbriefs 13 ecotip 14 ecobriefs 17 inspiration 18 wisewords
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20 healingways
22 naturalpet
28 consciouseating
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35 greenliving
advertising & submissions How to Advertise To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 616-656-9232 or email: Publisher@ NaturalWestMichigan.com. Deadline for space reservation is the 12th of each month prior to publication.
Natural Awakenings is your guide to a healthier, more balanced life. In each issue readers find cutting-edge information on natural health, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, creative expression and the products and services that support a healthy lifestyle.
18 RICHARD LOUV’S
WELL-BEING Rx: RECONNECT WITH NATURE
by April Thompson
20 NATURAL HEALING IN
UNNATURAL SETTINGS Homelike Touches Help
Restore Health
by Melinda Hemmelgarn
22 LASER POWER 21st Century Pet Therapy Options by Dr. Matthew Heller
24 ED BEGLEY, JR.’S
GREEN HOME MAKEOVER Saving Energy and Cutting
News Briefs & article submissions
Waste is a Family Affair
Email articles to: Publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com. Deadline for articles is the 5th of the month prior to publication. Submit News Briefs online at NaturalWestMichigan.com. Deadline for news briefs is the 12th of the month prior to publication.
by Brita Belli
calendar submissions
Signature Dishes from the Garden or Farmers’ Market
Submit Calendar Events online at: NaturalWestMichigan.com. Calendar deadline is the 15th of the month prior to publication.
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28 SALAD LOVERS’ SALADS by Judith Fertig
WHERE TO PICK UP NATURAL AWAKENINGS If you enjoyed this magazine and would like to know where you can pick up a free copy in your area, please contact us at 616656-9232 or email us at: publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com
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36 THE POWER OF
PERMACULTURE Care for People,
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Sustain the Planet, Share the Surplus by John D. Ivanko
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letterfrompublishers
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contact us Publishers Kyle & Amy Hass Editors S. Alison Chabonais Scott Gillis Linda Sechrist Design & Production Interactive Media Design Scott Carvey
Printer Newsweb Natural Awakenings 484 Sunmeadow Dr. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49508 Phone: 616-656-9232 Publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com
www.NaturalWestMichigan.com
Subscriptions are available by sending $30 (12 issues) to the above address. © 2011 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved. Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing. Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call 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.
Committed to Sustainability Natural Awakenings is locally owned and operated.
n honor of Earth Day 2011 we’d like to share some of the unusual ways in which Natural Awakenings readers devise extended use for copies of the magazine after they’ve read them. Of course, many of you over the years have told us how that you file every issue, so that you can periodically refer to back issues. For those who prefer to go beyond recycling to imaginative reuses, we offer the following ideas. A homeless man once asked if he could have some old issues a publisher had in storage to burn in the winter months to keep warm; let’s hope he benefited by reading them first. Another person shreds old issues as bedding for their family’s baby chicks; because there are no chemicals in the soy based ink, it is safe for these sensitive newborns. More than one loyal reader reports that she wraps gifts using the magazine’s colorful pages; one created an amazing bow looping thinly sliced strips. Occasionally, when a magazine or two becomes damaged during deliveries, we will use those copies to start the fire when we go camping. They also make great packaging material; just put them in a shredder to avoid using the foam packing peanuts that harm our environment. We’ve also been told the natural newsprint makes good mulch for flower beds and vegetable gardens, as well as starter material for composting piles. We’re thrilled to learn that a local school regularly passes along Natural Awakenings to students as an educational resource and love to hear how they become involved. Informed children are the best hope for sustaining a healthy planet long-term. Some area corporations share current and past issues to participants in their wellness programs. If creative reuse tickles your imagination with possibilities, let us know how. We want to hear the good, the bad and even the ugly because everyone can use a grin for the day. Who knows; you may see your suggesting land in a future issue; pictures also are welcome. Earth Day, April 22, arrives as a timely annual reminder for all of us to be kinder to our planet. Imagine how much cleaner our environment would be if everyone made every day Earth Day. Know that with every small change, you are making a difference and check out our special Earth Day Events Calendar, on page 39, to discover how West Michigan is celebrating. We will be around town at many of these events handing out our 2011 Annual Natural Living Directory as well as our monthly issue, so be sure to stop by and say hello.
Natural Awakenings is printed on 100% recycled newsprint with soy based ink.
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Make every day an Earth day,
Amy and Kyle NaturalWestMichigan.com
newsbriefs Party for the Planet
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celebration of conservation, recycling, and our natural world! This is a national Earth Day event taking place at Zoos around the country in an initiative spear-headed by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. Party for the Planet takes place on April 16th at John Ball Zoo from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Festivities include booths, stations, and demonstrations from the area’s top conservation-minded organizations as well as a convenient drive-up recycling center for just about any items. Animals that are threatened or endangered will be showcased with ideas on what you can do to help save these valuable species right here in Grand Rapids. Admission to the event is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for children 3-13 and children 2 and under are always free. The Zoo is open daily 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., but the Party for the Planet activities will take place until 3:00 p.m. For more information and detail, call Krys at 616-336-4374 or email KBylund@JohnBallZooSociety.org.
Lactation Cookies
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aking Thyme Kitchen, a locally owned business started 6 years ago, by Karen and Ken Bryan, specializes in the preparation of readyto-cook dinner entrées, sides, salads, soups and baked sweets. Everything is made from scratch, including all of their broths, pastries, sauces, etc. and they use as many local/ Michigan products as they can year round. “We get a lot of suggestions from our customers about what we should make for sale in our store,” says Karen Bryan. A customer/RN and lactation consultant contacted them about Lactation Cookies and sent the recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies by Noel Trujillo. After much research and testing of recipes, Milkeez Cookies was created and became a new product line with four original recipes. Milkeez Cookies are baked in their licensed commercial kitchen, located at 962 Cherry Street, in Grand Rapids. Cur-
rently, Milkeez are packaged 6 - two oz cookies to a bag, and come in three flavors – Chocolate Chocolate, Cherry Chocolate, Molasses Chocolate, and we are testing our first Gluten Free Cherry Chocolate. Milkeez are dairy free, nut free and vegan. The cookies are designed to supplement a regular diet and contain approximately 240 calories per cookie. “We have received a very positive response from moms who have tried the cookies, they are easy, taste good, can be eaten on the go, and increase milk production within 12 to 48 hours”, says Ken Bryan. Contact Making Thyme Kitchen at 616-406-8511 or visit www.MakingThymeKitchen.com for more information.
15th Annual Wege Speaker Series
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he Wege Foundation announced that Chris Palmer, internationally honored environmental film producer, will deliver the 15th annual Wege Speaker Series lecture at Aquinas College’s Performing Arts Center on April 15th. Over the past 25 years, Palmer’s filming adventures include coming face-to-face with Kodiak bears, sharks, whales, and wolf packs. Audiences who have heard Chris Palmer use words like “incredibly entertaining,” “dynamic,” “funny,” and say he’s so engaging they don’t want his talks to end. Palmer’s British accent, he came to the U.S. in 1972, adds elegance to his freewheeling speaking style. Chris Palmer’s screen credits include producing environmental films for prime-time television on the Disney Channel, TBS Superstation, Animal Planet, Home and Garden Television, The Travel Channel, The Outdoor Life Network, and PBS. In 2004, he joined American University (AU) as Distinguished Film Producer in Residence where he is now a full-time faculty member. Recognizing the power of film to teach and motivate students, Chris Palmer founded and now directs AU’s Center for Environmental Filmmaking in the School of Communication. Palmer has used his connections in the movie industry to
Circle Pines Center Summer Camp Serving locally-sourced, organic foods while teaching peace, social justice, environmental stewardship and cooperation as a way of life. Session I June 26-July 9 Session II July 10-July 16 Session III July 17-July 30
For More Information: Contact: 269.623.5555 OR www.circlepinescenter.org
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bring world-class filmmakers to AU’s campus to teach and mentor students. Guests are invited to stay for refreshments and appetizers in the lobby after Chris Palmer’s talk. He will sign copies of his controversial new book that covers some of his experiences filming wildlife titled, Shooting in the Wild: An Insider’s Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom. Palmer’s 4 p.m. presentation, including clips of some of his celebrated wildlife films, is free and open to the public. To RSVP, email harbuell@aquinas.edu by April 6, 2011. Limited seating is available. For more information visit www.wegefoundation.com. See ad page 8.
Have You Heard?
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ar Candling is a revival of an ancient, universal therapy used by people all around the globe. Many cultures considered it a spiritual practice for clearing the mind and senses, opening oneself to meditation and inner sensitivity. Ear Candling is a gentle non-invasive cleansing of the ears. Ear Candling softens excess earwax; reduce ear pressure, eases sinus congestion headaches and chronic sinusitis. Additional benefits to Candling include;
You are here. So are we. Childbirth Your Way Welcome Susan Wente, CNM, Dr. PH, Certified Nurse Midwife
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.
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• Relieves itching caused by the presence of Candida (yeast) and/or fungus in the ear canal. • Relaxation response can calm irritability, stress, and nervous tensions as it impacts the ears. • Hygienic treatment without risk of injury to outer ear. • Massage prior to candling stimulates the lymphatic system. • Beneficial warmth soothes ear passages.
When Candling should not be done; • Damage to Ear Drum • Ear Tubes in Place • Recent Surgical Procedure to Ears • Cysts or Tumors in the Ear • If you have a Cold or Virus
Cost is $40.00 per ½ hour session, includes 1 candle per ear. Or $60.00 per 1 hour session includes a massage and 1 candle per ear. Appointments can be made at the Dominican Center, 2025 Fulton St. East, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. 616-454-1241. Visit www.dominicancenter.com. See ad page 15.
Midwest Yoga Conference
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he Midwest Yoga Conference, in its 12th year, is calling all sensual beings to come together and tip the energetic scales of the solar system from craving and aversion to beauty and truth.
The amazing line-up this year includes yoga teachers, speakers, musicians, intuits & healers. This four-day event is held at the beautiful Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, Illinois (just 20 minutes outside of the city). Featuring daylong intensives on Thursday and yoga workshops and special events of all kinds with world renowned teachers on Friday, Saturday & Sunday. The Yoga bazaar is open all weekend offering eclectic and practical products for the yoga enthusiast from handmade jewelry & organic clothing to eco-friendly, biodegradable yoga mats and props. Studio Owners – email info@midwestyoga.com for information on how to get a FREE full conference pass. Hurry! Early registration ends April 10th, 2011. Visit midwestyoga.com for more information.
6th Annual Lakeshore Earth Day Celebration
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he Lakeshore Earth Day Committee and the Herman Miller Foundation present a weekend of fun in celebration of Earth Day. On Friday, April 15 at the Elks Lodge, 15 S. Third St, Grand Haven, enjoy environmentally themed music at the “Earth Rock Concert” from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Fire Barn. For more information contact Lexen Sterenberg at lexen1@ gmail.com or 616-844-4497. On Saturday afternoon, from 12 to 1 p.m., an Earth Day Parade begins at Franklin Street south of the courthouse. Afterwards, a Fair is schedule at Grand Haven Community Center from 1 to 4 p.m. Visit booths of environmental organizations and businesses, community and educational groups. There will be food and games. For exhibit information, contact Dawn Briegel at debriegel@hotmail.com 616-842-6321. Visit Wetland-Watch.org for event updates.
Lillie’s Redemption
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ook for the new novel Lillie’s Redemption, of La Loba’s Lydia Waring Meyer coming out in April, 2011. It’s been two years since 51-year-old Melodie Farmer, devoted Christian wife and mother, died from a sudden heart attack, but a mystery still remains. Why, a decade before her death, did she withdraw from life, leaving her husband and youngest child in despair? In search of an answer, Melodie’s husband Martin and her daughter Lillie read her diary and discover a secret that offers healing for the Farmer family... but threatens to destroy the church and community they love. Attend Lydia’s Book Launching Party, 5-7:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 10th at the Community Center in Grand Haven. Food, music by Damstra & Spring of Natchez Trace, Readaloud and book signing. Buy a personally signed copy of Lillie’s Redemption. For more information contact Lydia Meyer at lydiameyer1@ gmail.com
Local Business owner Honored with Leadership Award
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he President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) has chosen Cari Draft to receive a 2010 PCFSN Community Leadership Award. The award is given annually to individuals who improve the lives of individuals within their community by providing or enhancing opportunities to engage in sports, physical activities, fitness or nutrition-related programs. As the owner and founder of EcoTrek Fitness, Cari Draft
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and her ten series leaders guide and encourage their fitness clients to stay healthy and fit in harmony with our natural outdoor environment. Cari is organizing a Community Meet up Group in support of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” Initiative in Grand Haven, Michigan in the spring. Details on “Let’s Move!” can be found at www.letsmove.gov and the Cari Draft Community Meet up Group page at www.meetup.com/Lets-Move/Grand-Haven-MI/67901. If you would like to be involved, email cari@ecotrekfitness.com. To learn more about EcoTreck Fitness contact Cari Draft 616-291-2851. See ad page 18.
Natural Health For Beginners
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Massage and Holistic Care will be presenting an exciting 6-week natural health series at their office located at 1514 Wealthy St Se Suite 218 in Grand Rapids. The series will introduce a variety of nutritional and natural health topics. Class topics will cover water, food, vitamins & minerals, sugar, a blood type diet and emotions of the body systems. Class begins on April 19th and ends on May 24th. They
are held from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and cost is only $69. Space is limited and seating is available on a first come first serve basis. Please RSVP by April 12th to nichole@360massage. com or call 616-242-0034. Payment must be made in full by the start of first class. Contact Nichole at 360 Massage and Holistic Care 1514 Wealthy St Se Suite 218, Grand Rapids MI 49506 at 616242-0034 or via email nichole@360massage.com. See ad page 30.
Free Seminar Series
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orizons Developmental Remediation Center is hosting a FREE seminar series for parents of children with ASD, Asperger’s, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders here at our office. We will feature a different topic each month. The topic for April is “How to Set Limits Without Losing Your Mind-Behavior Strategies to Make Life Easier.” For more information or to attend one of the FREE seminars, please visit www.simplesolutionsseminar.com Horizons Developmental Remediation Center 3120 68th Street SE in Caledonia. See ad page 15.
Chris Palmer Friday, April 15, 4-5pm GREEN WORKSHOPS, EVENTS, BOOKS, MOVIES, SPEAKERS
CELEBRATE EARTH WEEK APRIL 16–23, 2011
15th Annual Wege Foundation Speaker Series Presented by wildlife filmmaker Chris Palmer
Presented by wildlife filmmaker Aquinas College – Free admission – Reception follows Chris Palmer at Aquinas College RSVP to harbuell@aquinas.edu by April 6. Visit www.wegefoundation.com to learn more.
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616.988.5400 WWW.GRPL.ORG/EARTHWEEK FUNDED BY THE GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION
Traverse City EcoTrek
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coTrek Fitness is thrilled to welcome Traverse City resident Georg Schluender as Traverse City EcoTrek Series Leader & Director of Business Development. Sign up for a session and welcome George to the EcoTrek Team. For more information visit www.ecotrekfitness.com. See ad page 18.
Local Artisan Trunk Show
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shley Connor, owner of Bootyful Baby Boutique, is inviting you to the second Handmade in the Grand trunk show. This trunk show is a FREE local event that will showcase an amazing variety of beautiful, unique, handmade products. The items offered are perfect for mothers, mothersto-be, babies and children. All products are boutique-quality; yet suit a variety of budgets. Please come meet the talented, work-at-home female artisans behind the following businesses: Bootyful Baby Boutique (modern cloth diapers) Chickadee & Me (upcycled woolies) Cindy’s Suds (natural products for health & home) Cuppycakes Confections (gourmet cupcakes) Hip Violet (appliquéd bibs) K Bella Bambino (children’s clothing) Lil’ Creations Bowtique (hair accessories) Mom N Mia Quilts (baby essentials and art buckets) Naturally Adorable (reusable snack bags) Organic Mamas Shop (jewelry & wool knit items) Shoes by Meg (custom painted shoes) Yellow Horse Art Studio (stuffed animals) Drawings will be held to give away more than $250 in free products. Finding the event on Facebook and submitting a “yes” RSVP or bringing a friend to the trunk show will earn you extra tickets for the drawings. Handmade in the Grand will take place from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 7275 Bittersweet Court in Allendale. For more information call 616-892-1525 or visit www. bootyfulbabyboutique.com. See ad page 48.
Create A Healthier You
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health & healing expo co-sponsored by Unity of Muskegon & West Michigan Healers, Inc. This two-day event will take place on Saturday, April 16th, 10am-4pm and Sunday, April 17th, 1-4pm at Unity, 2052 Bourdon Street in Muskegon. A love donation of $5 covers the entire two days. The integrative healing arts professionals sharing their expertise on holistic healing, alternative modalities, nutrition and more sets this expo apart from a typical health fair by having the healing practitioners on-site & in person to answer your questions, and demonstrate some modalities. Attendees can learn about acupuncture, aromatherapy, chiropractic, energy medicine for animals, healing touch, nutrition, massage, organic food, reflexology, yoga, & more. Various inspirational meditative musicians and artists will entertain the crowd, with their CD’s and artwork available for purchase. A healthy luncheon will be available on Saturday for a nominal fee. For more information email Kay Bazzett at westmichiganhealers@core.com or call 616-296-0466. Visit www. westmichiganhealersinc.org
April’s Photo Contest Winner… Congratulations to Ashley Bunge from Wyoming as her photo of this beautiful old barn in Zeeland won the photo contest for April. Ashley will be receiving a $25 Gift Certificate from Affordable Nutrition located at 7493 Cottonwood Drive in Jenison. A special thanks to Joel Manning for providing the prize for the winner. You can contact Affordable Nutrition at 616-667-1346. See ad page 45.
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globalbriefs News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.
Favored Addresses
Walkable Cities Provide Urban Paradise Compact, walkable communities, the opposite of poorly planned sprawl, are the solution to some of our biggest shared challenges, from childhood obesity to social isolation; vehicle crash deaths to disappearing farmland; and costly fuel to the architectural blight of strip development. The concept is also a powerful weapon against climate change, because people naturally replace driving with walking when their basic needs are close to their front door. Such cities also are fun, lively and memorable places of human interaction and inspiration. WalkScore.com ranks the largest 40 U.S. cities and supplies a walkability score for any U.S. residential address, based on density, mixed use, transit, short blocks, public spaces and pedestrian-friendly design. Most important is the number and kinds of destinations (including schools, workplaces, amenities) near each address, which are the strongest indicators of whether people walk. Fortunately, even the least walkable cities generally have some walkable spaces. Visit WalkScore.com to score any home address and pull up a map of what’s within walking distance.
Action Alert
Take a Stand Against Biotech Bullies Early this year, the United States government approved three genetically modified organism (GMO) crops— Monsanto’s Roundup Ready alfalfa and sugar beets, and Syngenta’s amylase corn developed to produce ethanol. Food Democracy Now, a grassroots community for a sustainable food system, is circulating an online petition objecting to these decisions that support biotech. Dozens of large food manufacturers and farm, food and agricultural organizations, both conventional and organic, are on board in opposing these lab-engineered food products for a variety of reasons, such as unknown health and environmental consequences, including genetic contamination. Instead, the current administration should be forging progress in making agriculture more sustainable and encouraging farmers to convert to organic farming practices. Join with other organic consumers who daily take a stand for their right to know what is in their food and how it’s produced. Tell President Obama to instruct the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ban planting of these GMOs. Sign the petition at Action.Food DemocracyNow.org/go/347?akid= 298.238135.FB4IuF&t=7.
Earth Day 1970 was irrefutable evidence that the American people understood the environmental threat and wanted action to resolve it. ~Barry Commoner 10
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healthbriefs
Pomegranate Juice May Inhibit the Spread of Cancer
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he exotic red fruit known as pomegranate is making headlines again. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have identified components in pomegranate juice that inhibit the movement of cancer cells and the metastasis of prostate cancer to the bone. The researchers attribute this effect to four key ingredients in the pomegranate: phenylpropanoids, hydrobenzoic acids, flavones and conjugated [types of polyunsaturated] fatty acids. “Having identified them, we can now modify cancer-inhibiting components in pomegranate juice to improve their functions and make them more effective in preventing prostate cancer metastasis, leading to more effective drug therapies,” says Manuela Martins-Green, a professor of cell biology at the university. She adds: “Because the genes and proteins involved in the movement of prostate cancer cells are essentially the same as those involved in the movement of other types of cancer cells, the same modified components of the juice could have a much broader impact in cancer treatment.”
Traveling? Pack Probiotics
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illions of people contract diarrheal diseases every year, and with the summer travel season just around the corner, it’s good to know that probiotics given as therapies for diarrhea can bring fast relief. After reviewing the findings of 63 trials involving a total of 8,014 patients, researchers with the School of Medicine at Swansea University, UK, concluded that taking such probiotics, or “good bacteria,” decisively helps. Results showed that using the probiotics reduced the duration of the illness and lessened the frequency of episodes continuing for more than four days.
Air Quality Contributes to Diabetes We have yet another reason to demand cleaner air: A national, large-scale, population-based epidemiologic study conducted by researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston, published in Diabetes Care, is among the first to link adult diabetes and air pollution, after adjustment for other risk factors such as obesity and ethnicity. The relationship was observed even at exposure levels below those currently deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Toxic Food Wrappers
When we buy a packaged prepared meal, we might, be ingesting harmful chemicals leached from the wrapper into our food. University of Toronto scientists have found that chemicals used to coat paper and cardboard food packaging to repel oil, grease and water are capable of migrating into food and contributing to chemical contamination in people’s blood. The researchers focused on perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCA), the breakdown products of chemicals used to achieve the nonstick and water- and stainrepellent properties of items that range from food packaging and kitchen pans to clothing. “We suspect that a major source of human PFCA exposure may be the consumption and metabolism of polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters, or PAPs,” explains Jessica D’eon, a graduate student in the university’s chemistry department. “PAPs are applied as greaseproofing agents to paper food contact packaging such as fast food wrappers and microwave popcorn bags.” PAPs are a source of potential personal chemical contamination that we can easily limit or avoid altogether. natural awakenings
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ecotip Natural Awakenings Celebrates Earth Day Every Day
$ave Earth
Eco-Driving Pays Big Subtle changes in driving habits can produce significant benefits, saving money at the gas pump and reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Practicing moderate levels of eco-driving typically reduces fuel use by an average of 15 percent. (Maintaining properly inflated tires adds 3 percent more.) Here are best practices for green driving in honor of Earth Day, April 22. Avoid Rapid Starts and Stops – Jackrabbit starts and stops use more fuel. Gentle acceleration and smooth braking, especially around corners, can save $1 per gallon, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), improving fuel economy by up to 33 percent. Keep on Rolling – Slow-and-go is always better than stop-and-go, because maintaining a constant speed in congestion increases fuel economy; it can take 20 percent more fuel to accelerate from a full stop than from 5 miles per hour. Anticipate stops and coast when possible. Ride the Green Wave – Traffic lights are often synchronized so that a motorist driving at a specific speed will pass through many without needing to stop, delivering better fuel efficiency. Limit Air Conditioning – Air conditioning can reduce mileage by as much as 20 percent. When driving below 40 mph, opening windows is best. At over 40 mph, closing windows and using A/C is better, because it avoids aerodynamic drag on the vehicle. Also use the “recycle inside air” feature to capitalize on already cooled air. Maintain Optimum Highway Speed – The EPA estimates that in highway driving, every 5 miles over 60 mph is equivalent to paying 20 cents per gallon extra for gas. Staying below 60 mph can improve mileage by 7 to 23 percent.
Use Cruise Control – Tests conducted by Edmunds.com found that using cruise control to maintain a steady speed during flat highway driving can provide an average of 7 percent in fuel savings (less in hilly terrain).
United Methodist, Downtown Grand Rapids
Navigate to Reduce Carbon Dioxide – Planning driving trips, including errands, saves time and increases motor vehicle efficiency. Electronic navigation helps find the shortest route to an unknown destination. Avoid Idling, Even to Warm Up the Engine – According to the Environmental Defense Fund, autos may burn 20 to 70 percent of a gallon of fuel for every hour spent in curbside idling (the equivalent of 0 mpg). For trucks, it’s a full gallon. Unless quickly dropping off or picking up someone, turn the engine off when waiting for more than 10 seconds. It won’t harm the starter. Even on the coldest mornings, engines warm up more effectively during actual driving (but avoid quick acceleration). Don’t step on the gas pedal before starting the car. Keep Your Cool – The interior of a vehicle can reach 120 to 130° F in 10 minutes in summer. Use a heat reflector or window shades to shield the interior from UV rays. Always roll down the windows to release hot air. It’s best to park in a garage or available shade. Obey the Check Engine Light – Today’s sophisticated onboard diagnostics systems continually monitor vehicle operation. When the alert light comes on, it may indicate that emissions have increased and fuel economy is going down, so always check it out. Source: Adapted from EcoDriving USA.com
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April 2011
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ecobriefs Sweet Sounds
Green Proclaimed the Next Big Thing in the Music Industry The Green Music Group, an international coalition of musicians, industry leaders and fans, is leveraging its collective power to bring about widespread environmental change within the music industry and around the globe. Primary goals include reducing the music community’s environmental footprint and magnifying support for environmental nonprofits. Founded by Guster band member Adam Gardner and environmentalist Lauren Sullivan, it’s a project of Reverb, an organization that has spread its ecofriendly message on 80 major music tours, to reach 10 million fans in its first six years. Founding members include the Dave Matthews Band, Maroon 5, The Roots, Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt and Willie Nelson. Get with the program at GreenMusicGroup.org.
Cashing In
College Students Annually Repeat Recycling Bonanza When Lisa Heller Boragine discovered that college students moving out of their dorms dump tons of perfectly good stuff that wind up in landfills, she organized her nonprofit Dump & Run. Now, schools across the country are corralling leftover belongings and getting them into the hands of people who will give them a second life. She recently helped Brandeis University, in Waltham, Massachusetts, organize a collection drive and sale that netted more than six tons of items from departing students. Clothing, food and bedding went to local charities. Mini-fridges, desk lamps and plastic storage containers were sold to incoming students, with proceeds benefiting on-campus sustainability efforts. Boston College’s Cleansweep program makes it even easier; students simply leave their excess stuff in their rooms, to be collected by volunteers. Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine, prefers to focus on generating cash for charity via massive yard sales, one of which recently yielded $40,000. “It’s a win-win-win,” remarks Keisha Payson, Bowdoin’s sustainability coordinator. “The housekeepers like it because there is less stuff to deal with; the community likes the great bargains; and students like it because they feel bad about putting stuff in the dumpster.” For information, visit DumpAndRun.org or call 508-579-7188. Source: The Christian Science Monitor 14
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Action Alert
Science Solves Mystery of Bee Colony Collapse Bees are dying off in developed Western countries, putting 90 percent of U.S. crops in peril. Multiple scientific studies now blame one group of agricultural toxins—neonicotinoid pesticides—as a major contributor to their rapid demise, and bee populations have recovered in the four European countries that have banned these products. But Bayer still sells this deadly poison here, even though the Environmental Protection Agency has recognized, in a leaked document, that Bayer’s “highly toxic” product is a “major risk concern to non-target insects [honey bees].” In 2009, Italy’s new, neonicotinoid-free corn sowing resulted in no cases of widespread bee mortality in apiaries around the crops, a first since 1999. Italy, France, Slovenia and Germany, where Bayer’s main manufacturing plant is located, have all banned neonicotinoids with good results. It’s up to U.S. citizens to convince the government not to heed the powerful chemical lobby, but to defend the bees and the country’s food supply by calling for a national ban now. Build a buzz today. Sign the emergency petition at Secure.Avaaz.org/ en/save_the_bees_usa/?vl.
Earth Care
Women’s Leadership for a Green Economy Earth Day Network’s new campaign, Women and Green Economy (WAGE), is engaging female executives in business, government and nongovernmental organizations to take leadership of the emerging global green economy. “Currently, women are not present in very many top international negotiations on climate change and the green economy,” says Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers. “We aim to change that equation.” Women such as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, are among those now leading key efforts in the climate and renewable energy discussion. “It is essential that our most talented and driven women come together to fast-forward the green economy,” says Rogers. With the world’s women making 85 percent of all consumer choices, they are in a commanding position to lead the way to a sustainable world. WAGE creates a road map for women to aggregate their power and promote their leadership in such issues. Earth Day Network’s supporting goals are to help prompt national and international initiatives that will promote the green economy, secure education and job training opportunities for women and channel green investment to benefit women.
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eeling disorganized, most; it is oriented unbalanced or to maximize sunlight out of sync? in central living Your home may spaces; and a be partly slow kitchen to blame. is a well“Mass-proorganized duced, cookiecenter of activcutter suburban ity, with sufficient homes are bad storage and ample for us and bad for workspaces. the environment,” There are also says John Brown, easy modifications a Calgary-based you can make architect, professor to the place you and founder of Slow now call home. For Home Studio. “It’s example: rearrange like the difference the furniture in an between a Big Mac awkwardly designed and a home-cooked room to maximize meal, made from lofunctional space cal ingredients.” and make it easier The concepts of to navigate; reslow home and its furnish rooms by parent, slow architeccreatively using ture, are part of the found objects and by April Thompson growing, global slow repurposed and movement that challenges us to rethink repaired items; also declare a weekly our relationships with everything from electronics-free day and spend it in food to money. It’s simple: A slow home quietude or with good friends. is easy to live in and has a light impact Slowing your home is also about on the Earth. Slow homes use space and environmental responsibility, given that energy efficiently, and work with, rather residential buildings account for more than against, the environment. than a third of the world’s greenhouse While the principles sound like gases, according to David Suzuki’s Green common sense, when Brown and his Guide. Recycled building parts might colleagues surveyed owners of 4,500 be incorporated into a new or renonewly built homes in nine North vated structure. Energy-saving measures American cities, they found that 54 per- include many widely-promoted simple cent failed their simple slow home test. steps that any home-dweller can employ. Yet, those houses were no less costly “It doesn’t have to be like the to build or maintain than the ones that Atkins diet, where you throw everything made the grade. out that’s currently in Brown’s team your pantry and swear Slow architecture has created a 12-step off McDonald’s formoves away from guide to get America’s ever. The slow home new housing stock into oversized McMansions philosophy is about rehab. Most steps refer toward quality, durability making incremental, to the design and site sustainable changes and affordability. selection process: For to the way you live,” example, a slow home advises Brown. is located in a walkable neighborhood, closest to the places the family visits Learn more at SlowHomeStudio.com.
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April 2011
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f it’s true that people are self-interested creatures at heart, journalist Richard Louv has a message for humankind: Think not only what we can do for nature, but what nature can do for us. Louv’s seminal book, Last Child in the Woods, launched a national dialogue about the disconnection between children and nature, a state he calls nature-deficit disorder. Now, in The Nature Principle, Louv vividly portrays how a nature-infused lifestyle can enhance the quality of our health and relationships, benefiting every facet of experience. He asserts that the more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need, and offers a roadmap to a future that incorporates nature into every aspect of our lives, from our homes to our workplaces. The recipient of the 2008 Audubon Medal, Louv is the author of eight books and the founder of the Children & Nature Network.
You cite many instances of nature’s power to heal and restore us mentally, emotionally, physically and even intellectually. How does science account for this? Healers have known about the importance of nature to our health and wellbeing for thousands of years, but only in recent years have scientists begun to 18
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study the benefits of what I call, “vitamin N.” Still, the preliminary research indicates overwhelmingly positive correlations between human health and intelligence and nature. For example, a University of Illinois study of urban children with attention deficit disorder found that even a little exposure to nature can have a positive effect on ADD. Several other studies indicate that walking in natural areas improves our mental and physical health. Researchers from Sweden and England that compared exercising in indoor and outdoor settings learned that expending the same amount of energy in these different environments provides different results, with green exercise offering added value. Science can’t yet tell us the causes and mechanisms behind these correlations, yet we know enough to act. Technology permeates every aspect of our lives today. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that American youth spend an average of 53 hours a week using entertainment media. So we have to consciously bring more nature into our lives—not just to escape technology’s documented negative effects, but also to access the positive benefits that nature provides. It’s not a case of nature versus technology, however; it’s a matter of balance. The “hybrid mind” can access the benefits of both, facilitating skills in big-picture thinking.
You assert that reconnecting with nature also strengthens community and family bonds, but where can busy urbanites start? Often, families want to connect with nature but don’t know how. We offer free tools at ChildrenAndNature.org to help you start a family nature club organized around prearranged nature play dates. One club has 600 families. This helps create meaningful social bonding within and between families. It’s something any family can do, regardless of location or income, and it’s good fun.
What roles do governments play in preserving a nature-balanced world? All have a role to play. Urban planners a hundred years ago planned cities around nature. It’s not a new idea; we’ve just forgotten. Nature can offer cost-effective solutions to some of the problems cash-strapped governments face. For example, it costs a lot to tear up a canyon and put in a new stormwater system, but a lot less to develop a system that takes advantage of the natural watershed.
People often think about nature as somewhere else, like a state park or
wilderness area, yet you point out the need to re-imagine our own yards and neighborhoods. What can we do to enhance the local habitats that ultimately sustain us? We often overlook the nature where we live, work and play. In 2008, for the first time in history, more people on Earth, were living in urban, rather than rural, areas. That means if we are going to have meaningful experiences with nature, we are going to have to rethink nature within cities. Looking forward, conservation measures alone won’t be enough to get us where we need to be. We need to start re-creating nature in order to protect the biodiversity that all creatures need, humans included. We can start in our backyards by replacing lawns with flowers and native plants that will bring back sustainable migration routes for birds and butterflies. Acting on The Nature Principle is an optimistic way of looking at the future. It’s not just about survival; it’s creating a way of life that is profoundly all-around better for all of us. April Thompson is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. Connect at April Writes.com.
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April 2011
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healingways
Natural Healing in Unnatural Settings Homelike Touches Help Restore Health by Melinda Hemmelgarn
O
h, how we take the comforts of home for granted—until we lose them. Despite our best intentions and mindful actions to stay physically and spiritually sound, sometimes, bad things happen to good people. Accidents, toxic environments, illness and other situations beyond our control can radically, often unexpectedly, change our lives. No one wants to find themselves in a hospital bed, but if you or a loved one require the high-tech, life-saving skills of a medical center, nursing home or another institutionalized care facility, you can help restore health through high-touch, natural nurturing.
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To begin, it’s helpful to know that healing is enhanced and quality of life returns quicker in loving, peaceful, natural environments. Frances Kuo and her colleagues at the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory, at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, have shown how green space is a necessary, beneficial component of human health. Because plant life is physically and mentally restorative, an increasing number of hospitals nationwide have created onsite “healing gardens.” The University of Alabama Hospital, for instance, designed a garden according to the concept that the way a patient
feels and interacts with his or her surroundings can play an integral part in the healing process. Complementing its soothing greenery and pleasant floral scents, a water feature helps mask unpleasant noise. It’s good to bring green plants, fragrant flowers and herbs to the bedside of a loved one, but intensive care units often ban plants in rooms, due to concerns about mold, allergens and bacteria, so check with nursing staff first. If an institution restricts the presence of plants, substitute posters or pictures of gardens, forests or national parks to bring visions of natural life to barren walls. Here are additional suggestions for transforming unnatural environments into more natural healing spaces: Like Hippocrates, think of food as medicine. Unfortunately, “healthy hospital food,” is too often an oxymoron. It’s wise to ask the staff dietitian for an organic diet. Organic food is produced without toxic chemicals, antibiotics, hormones and genetically modified ingredients. If no organic options exist, let hospital administrators know you would appreciate having local, organic food on the menu. Inquire about dietary restrictions and get approval to bring nutritious, homemade comfort foods, prepared with loving hearts and caring hands. Satisfy the senses. Listen to the healing rhythms of nature via recordings of songbirds, crickets, frogs, ocean surf, trickling streams and gentle rain. Many are available through libraries, local bookstores and websites. Paul Kervick, cofounder and one of the directors at Living Well Community Care Home, in Bristol, Vermont, believes, “It takes more than medical management and clean sheets to feel vibrant and happy.” So, in addition to organic food, Kervick provides music therapy and meditative drumming for residents. Heal through touch and movement. Medical facilities may employ professional massage, healing touch and physical therapists. If not, a gentle foot or hand massage, with jasmine, rose or lavender-scented lotion, provides sooth-
ing stress relief. Be close; hold your loved one’s hand or stroke their hair. In A Dietitian’s Cancer Story: Information & Inspiration for Recovery & Healing, author and dietitian Diana Dyer found that meditative movement, like yoga and qigong, aided her own healing journey. Bring something from home to the facility. Family photographs, a favorite blanket or special sweater can help make a strange space feel more personal and cozy. Some care facilities even allow visits from pets. Pull up a chair and read stories aloud, sing softly and share memories and images of home. Think positively and hold healing thoughts. Creative visualization can be a vital healing tool. It is the internal process of embracing healing images and good thoughts and then applying them to our experience and our bodies. For example, Dyer references a horse field she saw outside her rural hospital window during an illness that had left her weak. She focused on the horses’ galloping strength and visualized herself running strongly again. Every patient needs an advocate to ask questions, take notes and provide a second set of watchful eyes and helping hands. It’s a good idea to keep a dated record of procedures, doctors’ comments, test results and care plans. Meanwhile, protect your loved one’s rest while offering small services that provide great comfort—such as companionship during meals or helping them step outside for some fresh air. Repeatedly express gratitude to care providers for their services and for incremental gains in healing that bring a loved one ever closer to returning to home sweet home. For additional insights, visit Health Care Without Harm (NoHarm.org). Melinda Hemmelgarn is a registered dietitian and award-winning writer and radio show host, based in Columbia, MO. Her daughter recently spent a month in the hospital while recovering from a fall. Visit FoodSleuth@gmail.com and tune into Food Sleuth Radio online podcasts at kopn.org. natural awakenings
April 2011
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West Michigan Edition
et owners around the country are discovering a new wrinkle in an existing technology to deliver both pain relief and healing for their furry, feathery or scaly companions. Laser technology has been used in the veterinary field for many years for surgery. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Class IV laser therapy to deliver non-invasive relief for pain and inflammation, as well. Treatments benefit pets suffering from arthritis, back injuries, acute sprains or spasms and dermatological hot spots and wounds, plus enhance post-operative rehabilitation.
How It Works The science is fairly straightforward. In a Class IV laser therapy session, a concentrated beam of light emanates from a wand that is slowly moved over the animal’s body, and several processes occur that accelerate healing and pain relief. Effects include an increase in circulation and metabolism, stimulation of nerve cells and a boost in collagen production, all of which facilitate wound healing. The associated production of oxygen encourages cells to regrow, while a release of endorphins stimulates cells to heal more rapidly, reducing pain. Unlike pharmaceutical, non-steroi-
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dal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) that provide relief from pain and inflammation, laser therapy does not pose serious side effects for the liver or kidneys, nor is it painful or typically require sedation. Because it promotes cellular activity and increases blood flow, laser therapy should not be used on tumors or pre-surgical sites where it could be detrimental.
Frequency, Duration and Intensity The duration and frequency of a therapeutic laser session depends on the type of injury or illness being treated. A certified operator will select a preprogrammed protocol, established to regulate the power of the laser (typically from six to 12 watts). The desired wattage is often determined by the size of the area to be treated, along with the nature of the injury and the pet’s coat type and body weight. As with most medical therapies,
one size does not fit all. Initially, a laser therapy session will begin with a thorough physical examination and radiographs, if indicated, to ascertain the extent of the injury or condition, and develop an individualized plan to return a pet to a heightened state of wellness. For instance, a pet suffering from degenerative arthritis that is experiencing great discomfort in walking may initially be treated for five to 10 minutes every two or three days for a few weeks. As the pet’s situation improves, the frequency of the sessions may decrease to once weekly, and then every two weeks, until the pet receives a laser treatment on a monthly basis. For chronic conditions, laser therapy may not cure the pet, but it will help alleviate its discomfort. For more acute situations, such as a hot spot or a sprain, the animal may be
treated for three to five minutes every three days over a 10-day period. A pet that has recently undergone invasive surgery, such as an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament, or connective knee tissue) repair or tumor removal, may be treated just minutes after the sutures are closed, to promote circulation, stimulate nerve cells and boost collagen production, reducing healing time. Over the next seven to 10 days, the pet may receive a laser treatment every few days until the skin around the incision is less inflamed. Results of laser therapy treatments are cumulative, but most pet owners report significant improvement after two to four sessions. An article in the Newark Post, in Delaware, quoted pet owner Cricket Barazotto as saying, “I was desperate to get [my dog] Clare out of pain. It was hard for her to walk through our neighborhood. But after the first week of laser therapy,
she started jumping back up on our bed.” Pet owners who previously relied upon more traditional means of relieving inflammation or pain, such as drugs, prescription diets for skin allergies and other types of palliative care, are often surprised by the affordability and availability of laser therapy. Treatment costs vary by location, generally ranging from $50 to $75 a session. To find an area veterinarian that uses non-surgical laser therapy, visit the websites of the two main manufacturers: K-LaserUSA.com/locator/ locator/index.php and Companion TherapyLaser.com/Pages/pet-owners. This federally approved safe and effective technology delivers results, increasing mobility, accelerating wound healing and decreasing pain. To see if a family pet could benefit from laser therapy, contact a veterinarian to discuss the best application of this innovative approach. Dr. Matthew J. Heller is a holistic veterinarian and owner of All About PetCare, in Middletown, OH. For more information, call 513-424-1626 or 866-YOURVET, or visit AllAboutPetCare.com.
natural awakenings
April 2011
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Ed Begley, Jr.’s
GREEN HOME
MAKEOVER Saving Energy and Cutting Waste is a Family Affair by Brita Belli
E
d Begley, Jr., widely regarded as America’s most environmentally aware actor—the one by which other green celebrities are measured— has never tired of the years of effort he and his family have made in making their home as green as possible. But this past year, his wife, Rachelle Carson-Begley, had had enough. She isn’t fed up with turning off lights or relying on solar power—she’s just grown weary of the home’s tiny closets and sharing one small bathroom between two adults and a soon-to-beteenage daughter, 11-year-old Hayden. While Rachelle played the disgruntled foil to the over-achieving eco-cop Ed on
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West Michigan Edition
their former television show, Living with Ed—which aired for three seasons, first on HGTV and then on Planet Green— her problems with their modest 1936 home in Studio City, California, are those to which most homeowners can relate. For example, cramped rooms make entertaining difficult. The home’s 1,600 square feet of main living space (plus an additional 600-square-foot room above the garage) does not easily accommodate the fundraisers the Begleys regularly host; not to mention the camera crews that routinely invaded the family’s day-to-day lives to capture the couple’s good-natured squabbles over everything from composting to conserving water
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and energy. For seven years, the family even ran a nontoxic cleaning business—Begley’s Best—out of their garage, adding to the mêlée. “Even if it were designed differently, it would be better,” Rachelle explains. “It’s just that it’s a 1936 house. Yes, it’s efficient, but it would be great to be able to incorporate everything that’s going on now in eco building and be a recipient of all the latest benefits—why not?” So, the Begleys are moving. After years of documenting how to retrofit an older house to maximize use of solar energy for electricity, heating, cooling and hot water, family recycling and rainwater catchment, they are planning to sell
their modest abode and build a modern, 3,000-square-foot home a mile away. Ed emphasizes that the move is a major concession on his part. “I made it crystal clear when Rachelle and I were dating: ‘This is the home I plan to be buried in. I will never move.’ And I said it repeatedly from 1993 until about a year and a half ago; now I’m going against that.” Although the Begleys are trading up, they will continue to set an example by building their new home to green building standards that few homeowners have achieved. They’re going for the platinum; that is, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum standards, the highest rating possible for buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (usgbc.org). This premier LEED designation requires an incredible environmental commitment in every aspect of the building process, from responsible site development, reduced water use and renewable energy utilities to the use of recycled and local materials and indoor air quality control. Of the more than 130 LEED Platinum building projects in California—the state that boasts the most such projects—only about 30 are private homes. Despite his initial protestations, Ed admits that he’s excited about the prospect. If there’s one thing he relishes, it’s a green challenge.
cess of the show Living with Ed relied in great part on the watchdog antics of Ed catching his wife stuffing vegetable peelings down the garbage disposal, instead of in the compost bin, timing her long showers or opening a running dryer to discover Rachelle’s lone tank top inside. In each case, the chastised Rachelle vowed to be more eco-conscious, with a raised eyebrow aimed at the camera. “I felt vindicated,” Rachelle says of her reality show adventures. “They [the viewers] were going to side with me.” If there’s any question that Ed’s needling occurs only when the cameras Life with Ed are on, his family members put those It’s not easy to live up to Ed’s 30-yeardoubts to rest. Rachelle describes how strong waste-nothing ethos. Although her husband insists on keeping the he first made a name for himself as an temperature uncomfortably low on cold actor, initially as Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the nights for the sake of saving energy; of 1980s TV show St. Elsewhere, followed turning off her curling iron while it’s by his recurring roles in the hit TV series warming up if she leaves the room; or Six Feet Under and Arrested Developswitching off the TV if she’s listening to ment, as well as a co-starring role in it while getting dressed down the hall. Woody Allen’s 2009 film Whatever Daughter Hayden’s biggest gripe Works, lately he’s become best known has to do with TV time. “I love to watch as Hollywood’s green guru. He’s the TV for hours on end,” she says. “My people’s go-to expert on green building dad is very cautious about using power and saving energy, authoring the how-to and we have to turn off several differbooks, Living Like Ed and Ed Begley, Jr.’s ent things when we use the TV, like the Guide to Sustainable Living. Ed is often DVR and its power switch.” spotted around Hollywood riding his But Ed insists that all these little bike, his preferred mode of travel; on energy-saving strategies add up. While weekdays, he and his daughter ride tohe was willing to recently trade his gether to her school, pedaling two miles obsolete 1992 TV set for an HDTV, he each way. knows it’s a major energy hog—and This down-to-earth, affable man is not only when someone’s watching it. perhaps eco-conscious to a fault. The suc- “The phantom power can be as high as
100 watts per hour,” he says—that’s the power the TV consumes simply by being plugged in. “But,” he notes, “ if you have put power strips everywhere in the house and you just walk around and click off a few of them, all of that phantom power is turned off. Then, you can enjoy an appliance like that without using a tremendous amount of energy.” The sun may be an unlimited source of energy, but the solar power stored in their home’s batteries has limitations— and Ed is a vigilant watchdog. With rooftop solar panels providing most of the home’s power, the Begleys remain blissfully unaware when there’s a power outage in the neighborhood. “I only find out about it when I walk to the post office and see the signal flashing to show that power has been restored,” Ed comments. Ed manually switches over to the municipal power grid only when he senses that the stored power capacity in the home’s solar batteries is running low. He foresees that eventually that system will be automated, but for now, he’s happy to keep track. The solar power generated onsite is enough to operate the house and professional TV cameras; it also charges an electric car in the garage—an all-electric 2002 Toyota RAV4 that’s clocked 85,000 miles. For hot water, the family comfortably relies mostly on a simple solar thermal setup—a 4-by-10-foot panel on the roof of black anodized tubing behind a piece of glass. A pump activates when a sensor in the panel senses that it’s hotter than the temperature in the tank. Ed observes: “If you keep things simple, they work well.” Simplicity also keeps maintenance issues at bay. The upkeep required for his solar electric system is minor; he’s committed only to adding water to the batteries every nine months and occasionally getting up to the roof to clean the panels with a brush and a little water.
Embracing the Great Outdoors
One of Ed’s first acts when he purchased his current house in 1988 was to rip up the existing lawn and replace it with native California plants and a fruit and vegetable garden. Unless rais-
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April 2011
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ing cows or running a golf course, he can’t imagine why anyone would need high-maintenance, water-wasting grass outside their home. But, as with many of Ed’s improvements, energy saving ends to trump aesthetics. That’s where Rachelle comes in. “A few years after Rachelle had moved in here, she was telling a friend to meet her at the house,” Ed recalls, “and she said ‘It’s the one on the corner that looks like the Addams Family yard.’ I thought: ‘Oooh, maybe that garden isn’t quite as nice-looking as it used to be.’ It was very drought-tolerant, but it didn’t look good.” With Rachelle’s help, a new landscaper joined the effort of turning the formerly bleak-looking yard into an attractive mix of native plants that includes fragrant rosemary and purpleflowering sage along with broccoli, artichoke, corn and lettuce. Plans for the new family home will allow Ed an expanded capability to harvest rainwater through a large catchment system with an underground tank, so that he can irrigate the gardens without drawing from the municipal water supply— which he characterizes as having, “… our straw dipped into someone else’s drink”—namely, Northern California’s water. “If you’re going to take water from someone else,” Ed advises, “the least you can do is to use it responsibly and not waste it on non-native species.” 26
West Michigan Edition
Meeting in the Middle
Bringing Rachelle’s aesthetic influence to bear has entailed replacing outdated living room curtains with attractive and energy-efficient wooden shutters, and finding ways to recycle without having large bins in plain sight. She’s orchestrating the design and layout of the new house—allowing for both entertaining space and larger closets—while Ed focuses on its renewable energy systems—including more unshaded rooftop panels and orienting the building to make the most of natural light. “If we don’t go LEED Platinum, then who will?” Rachelle queries. “That alone is not easy; still, I want to make it look like other houses in the neighborhood. I don’t want a Jetsons’ house; super modern has never been my style. I‘d like to show people that you can have it all, and I’m praying that it’s true.” The Begleys got off to a good start in March by tearing down an existing home on the property they recently purchased—96 percent of which, from cabinets to pipes, will be recycled or reused through Habitat for Humanity. By March 2012, the new house should be finished. They want their LEED Platinum home to serve as a model for people who are building new residences, to show what is possible in achieving real energy efficiency and waste reduction without sacrificing style or
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comfort. Ed’s aim is to ensure the place produces more energy than it uses. As before, the whole process will be documented. “I hope that I’ve shown what you can do with a retrofit,” Ed says. “Now I want to show people what you can do from the ground up in 2011 and beyond.” The family’s ongoing focus on green living has made a major impact on Hayden, who accepts environmental consciousness as the norm. “I learned everything from my dad, from composting to solar panels,” Hayden says. “I always teach my friends to turn off the lights more often, take shorter showers, stuff like that.” Her green awareness gives this tween maturity beyond her years. As Rachelle says, “She thinks about things outside of herself. She’s always been conscientious. She’s also really concerned about the planet and very compassionate.” Hayden is proof that a family’s day-to-day environmental commitments can leave a lasting impact that reaches far beyond the immediate family. Brita Belli is the editor of E-The Environmental Magazine and the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Renewable Energy for Your Home. Her next book, due out this fall, explores the relationship of environmental toxins and autism.
n Recycle everything possible and compost all organic matter, from vegetable cuttings to coffee grounds. Step Two: The Middle Road n Install a programmable thermostat.
STEPPING UP HOME ENERGY SAVINGS
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reen guru Ed Begley, Jr. likes to break down saving energy and reducing waste at home into doable steps that help us get the most out of our homes, so that we not only learn to live efficiently, but learn to love doing so. The how-to advice in his books comes packed with personal anecdotes and insights; it’s like a friend explaining the basics, as opposed to a know-it-all. Almost any energy-saving journey, Begley notes, begins with a green home audit. The one he had conducted for his home cost $1,000 because it was very thorough; basic audits cost $100 to $175 per hour. But, he’s convinced it was well worth it, because the auditor found many places where Begley could make simple minor adjustments to potentially save hundreds of dollars a year. What’s more, he advises, “A good green home audit will help you prioritize bigger changes, so you spend your money wisely.”
Here’s how to move up the energy-saving ladder, one step at a time.
Step One: The Low-Hanging Fruit n Switch from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent models. n Turn off lights and fans when leaving a room. n Change air filters. n Take shorter showers.
n Get a Cool-N-Save attachment for household air conditioners—a valve and mister system that activates when the A/C is on to drop temperatures around each unit by as much as 30 degrees (not recommended for mineralized well water). n Add insulation to drafty walls, ceilings, basements and even foundations. n Install new double- or triple-paned windows. n Add blinds or other window treatments to help retain heat in winter and block it in the summer. n Purchase a new, energy-efficient dishwasher, refrigerator and other appliances. n Replace the lawn with drought-tolerant grasses or native plants and vegetable/fruit/herb gardens or even an artificial lawn made of recycled rubber and plastic. Step Three: Major Commitments n Purchase and install a solar hot water system or tankless water heater; at minimum, install a timer to avoid wasteful heating of water 24/7 (a thermal blanket can help, too). n When updating a standard HVAC system, consider the value of switching to a heat pump model. n If building a new residence or looking to upgrade an outdated heating/cooling system (particularly for larger homes), opt for a geothermal heat pump, which uses 25 to 50 percent less energy than a traditional heating and cooling system. n Evaluate the home’s solar potential and install solar photovoltaic panels on the roof.
n Turn off the faucet while shaving and brushing teeth.
n Consider a home’s wind energy potential and install a home wind turbine.
n Plug in power strips and use them to fully turn off electronics when not in use.
Primary Source: Ed Begley, Jr.’s Guide to Sustainable Living
natural awakenings
April 2011
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consciouseating
Salad Lovers’
SALADS Signature Dishes from the Garden or Farmers’ Market by Judith Fertig
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oing green—at least on our plates—has never been easier. Every season, it seems that more varieties of fresh greens are available at farmers’ markets and in selections of nursery plants or seeds for home gardeners. Not so long ago, Americans generally thought of salad as pale iceberg lettuce with high-fat bottled dressing or some mixture of veggies, bound together with mayonnaise. These days, we can choose from among a bounty of tender lettuces and exotic greens, topped with extra virgin olive oils and splashed with colorful creative counterpoints that add zest and yum. Salads today provide a culinary canvas for both the cook and the gardener. A signature salad generally comprises several key ingredients: cool, crisp, fresh and nutritious greens; a fresh-tasting, low-calorie dressing; and bite-sized fruits, nuts, vegetables or cheeses that add flavor, texture and interest. For the greens, tender leaf or Bibb lettuce, crisp Romaine or cabbage, sliced or finely chopped, make the besttasting salads. For the best-tasting dressings, cooks whisk ingredients together in a bowl minutes before serving. We can drizzle them over each salad, serve them in a small pitcher on the side or place the salad in a large bowl, and then toss to incorporate the dressing. Added accents have expanded to include everything from soft fruits such as strawberries and oranges; savory and salty crumbled feta or blue cheeses; or something crunchy, like toasted almonds or walnuts, in addition to ubiquitous garden-fresh vegetables, such as scallions or tomatoes. Adding a healthy hot or cold protein makes a salad even more of a main course. Altogether, in ever-evolving combinations, today’s wide-ranging healthful ingredients can work edible magic.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm’s Slaw
Judith Fertig is a freelance writer in Overland Park, KS; see AlfrescoFoodAndLifestyle.blogspot.com.
3. For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, ginger, and salt and pepper in a bowl, according to
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West Michigan Edition
NaturalWestMichigan.com
When Minnesota’s Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm employees gather for a summer lunch, this crunchy cabbage-based slaw often graces their table. Serves 6 Slaw ½ lb Napa cabbage, cored ½ lb green cabbage, cored 1 bunch red radishes (about 12 medium to large), trimmed ½ lb broccoli, florets separated from stalks ½ bunch green onions, pale and green parts, sliced ¼-inch thick ½ lb green beans, ends trimmed, sliced ¼-inch thick Dressing 1 /3 cup extra virgin olive oil 2-½ Tbsp cider vinegar or more to taste 1 Tbsp honey ¼ tsp ground ginger Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1. Chop cabbages, radishes and broccoli florets into very small pieces. With a knife or vegetable peeler, pare the tough outer layer of the broccoli stalks to reveal the pale core. Chop the cores the same size as the other vegetables. 2. Put all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and add the green onions and green beans. Toss to mix.
taste. Add the dressing to the slaw, using just enough to coat the vegetables nicely. Toss well. Let rest at room temperature for about an hour before serving, or cover and refrigerate. The slaw will remain crunchy for at least eight hours. Source: Adapted from Eating Local: The Cookbook Inspired by America’s Farmers, by Sur La Table and Janet Fletcher (AndrewsMcMeel.com).
Strawberry and Feta Salad with Honey-Yogurt Dressing
Gardening blogger Barbara Pleasant counts this as her favorite salad, one that changes with the season. In the spring, strawberries go well with feta. In the fall, pears pair with blue cheese. Serves 2 Honey-Yogurt Dressing 2 Tbsp plain yogurt 2 Tbsp mayonnaise or veggie mayo 1 tsp honey 1 tsp rice vinegar Salt and pepper to taste Salad 2 cups fresh salad greens 1 cup fresh sliced strawberries ½ cup crumbled feta cheese ¼ cup chopped, toasted almonds or walnuts 1. For the dressing, mix the yogurt, mayo, honey and rice vinegar together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 2. Arrange the greens on two salad plates and top with strawberries and feta. Drizzle with the dressing, sprinkle with chopped nuts and serve. Award-winning garden writer Barbara Pleasant blogs about growing and eating organic food at BarbaraPleasant.com.
natural awakenings
April 2011
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April 2011
31
Salad Lovers’
GARDEN TIPS by Barbara Pleasant
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f you really love salad, you owe it to yourself to try growing your own garden-fresh ingredients. Lettuce is fast and easy to grow, with beautiful colors and textures worthy of a flower garden. Most salad staples grow best in cool weather; so don’t wait for summer to get started. Here are eight tips for a successful salad garden season. Make several small sowings. Lettuce and other salad greens grow quickly and must be picked before they get too old, so try planting about two square feet of space every three weeks, starting in early spring. Take a break during summer’s heat, and then plant more salad greens when the weather cools in late summer. In tropical areas, grow lettuce as a winter crop. Try Bibbs, butterheads and other beauties. Seed racks offer packets of tempting varieties, and all except iceberg types are easy to grow in a garden. Buttercrunch and other Bibb varieties always do well, as do butterheads and leaf lettuces. Choose a mixture of varieties or buy three packets with different leaf colors and textures.
Add water. All leafy greens crave water, and dry conditions can cause lettuce to become bitter. Keep a watering can near the salad bed and water as often as needed to keep the soil constantly moist, but not muddy. Eat thinnings. Lettuce seedlings often appear close together, and a good gardener will pull out excess seedlings to give the plants room to grow. After thinning seedlings to two inches apart, start eating the pulled plants as baby greens. Pick in the morning. Lettuce and other leafy greens are at their best in the morning, after they have had all night to recover from the stresses of the previous day. If it’s not possible to gather greens in the morning, pop a cardboard box over the bed for the day. Protected from hot sun, a salad patch can keep its morning freshness until evening.
Mark boundaries with radishes or scallions. Plant fastsprouting radish seed or green onions from the store to mark the locations of newly sown seeds. The onions will quickly grow new roots and tops; simply pull them as needed in the kitchen.
Grow more when temperatures cool. Salad crops struggle in hot weather, but often thrive in cooler months. In the north, gardeners can use leftover seeds to start up a second delicious salad season in late summer; in the south, they can get an early start on the long winter growing season as soon as summer temperatures abate.
Mix in some spinach. Boost the nutrient content of salads by including spinach in the salad garden. Spinach grows best in rich, fertile soil.
Barbara Pleasant is the author of numerous gardening books, including Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 No-Fail Plans for Small Organic Gardens. Visit BarbaraPleasant.com.
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West Michigan Edition
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Simple, Super-Fast Citrus Salad
When horticulture author Barbara Pleasant’s garden is at its peak, she doesn’t like to slow down. She goes from garden to table in minutes, remarking, “I love this simple and super-fast salad.” Serves 2 Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing 2 Tbsp sesame oil 2 Tbsp orange juice Salt and pepper to taste Salad 2 cups fresh salad greens 1 cup fresh orange, peeled and chopped, or canned mandarin oranges, rinsed and drained ½ cup chopped green onions, including some of the green 1. For the vinaigrette, whisk the sesame oil and orange juice together in a bowl. Season to taste. 2. Arrange the greens on two salad plates and top with orange and scallion. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve. Award-winning garden writer Barbara Pleasant blogs about growing and eating organic food at BarbaraPleasant.com.
Spinach and Avocado Salad
This fresh-tasting salad features a variety of colors, flavors and textures. Serves 4 1 large ripe avocado, diced 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice 4 cups baby spinach leaves ½ cup chopped green onions 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in halves 1 cup sliced radishes ½ cup bottled low-calorie Italian vinaigrette 1. In a small bowl, coat avocado with lime juice. Set aside. 2. In a large bowl, toss together spinach, green onions, tomatoes, radishes and vinaigrette. Divide evenly onto four plates. Top with avocado pieces. Source: Adapted from 350 Best Salads & Dressings, by George Geary © 2010 Robert Rose Inc. (RobertRose.ca). Excerpted with permission; all rights reserved.
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natural awakenings
April 2011
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Community Spotlight Janice DeLange, PhD
by Kim Racette
Third Coast Counseling Center
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ertainly there are benefits to working with a therapist for long periods of time, but is it always necessary? Third Coast Counseling Center LLC co-founder Janice DeLange Ph.D. would say it is not. “Using specific techniques, many times we can help those who are suffering in much shorter periods of time,” she says. “Not only can we work on the symptoms that may be affecting them, but we can get to the root of their problems and help them move on.” DeLange-who along with three other therapists founded Third Coast Counseling Center-has over 25 years of clinical experience as well as 17 years of graduate school teaching. With a passion for learning, she has come to embrace a philosophy that is exploding in the therapy field over the past few years. “There is a strong element of mind/ body and soul that needs to be encompassed in any treatment,” she explains. “My counseling speaks to all three of those, and yet in very specific and scientific ways that moves beyond simply talking through issues people face that are affecting their lives.” In helping her clients to relieve different types of psychological distress, DeLange often works with two methods - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) - that have proven to be effective in more quickly resolving issues than traditional psychotherapy. “These techniques are becoming better known because they work,” says DeLange. “They can help with many issues-anxieties, depression, phobias, addictions, domestic violence and sexual assault, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-to release and let go of the emotional issues for that person. This may be due to a little trauma (like a series of events that have caused low self-esteem) or big trauma (a major car accident or war-time experience) and allow the person to see it intellectually without the emotional attachment.” EMDR has a direct effect on the way the brain processes information. “EMDR is a technique using alternating bilateral brain stimulation that releases those moments that are frozen in time, and helps a person to see the trauma in a new and less distressing way,” she says. “We work with eye movements to stimulate both sides of the brain while the person relives the event.” Physically tapping on specific acupoints that lie on the meridian-lines of energy that flow through the body-is the basis for EFT. This releases the blockages that limit or change the healthy flow of energy. “Working on that energy is so important because what a
person puts out there so determines how life goes for them. People with negative energy and beliefs sabotage themselves,” DeLange explains. “When I’ve used either of these techniques-when they are the appropriate treatment for the issues that my clients are facing - I have seen much more rapid recoveries than they would have had without them.” They both may be used in conjunction with standard “talk” therapy, or as a treatment all by itself. DeLange began her journey to this practice in Harlem, working with underprivileged children. “I taught school in Watts, and during the summers I’d work in Harlem. That inspired me to go into social work, because I was working with kids and I just so wanted to help them,” remembers DeLange. She received her master’s degree at University of Michigan and her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, and went on to teach classes and workshops at a variety of schools while she built her practice. She was awarded the Distinguished Teacher Award (by student vote) during her professorship at the University of Washington, but returned to west Michigan twenty years ago to care for her aging parents. “I never intended to stay in west Michigan,” says DeLange. “But now my work is here. I work with all different types of people from all different ethnic groups, religious (or not) backgrounds, and from various alternative lifestyle groups.” Married with three grown children, DeLange also enjoys skiing, and reads constantly. “Healing, energy medicine, nutrition, I just love learning more about things,” she says with a smile. “That comes right back to helping my clients.” For more information contact Dr. Janice DeLange at 616-451-3008, or visit her Web site at www.janicedelange.com. The Third Coast Counseling Center is located at 1514 Wealthy St. SE Suite #260 in Grand Rapids. See ad page 45.
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West Michigan Edition
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greenliving by Sharon Pisacreta
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Go with the Low-Flow: Quick Steps to a Greener Bathroom
unning an eco-friendly household involves more than recycling trash and switching to LED or fluorescent light bulbs. Indeed, each room in the home should undergo a thorough green makeover. And the best place to start is the family bathroom where just a few changes can have the most results. As climate change continues to affect the planet, the demand for fresh water will only increase. It is critical that everyone do all they can to cut back on consumption. According to the California Urban Water Conservation Council, the bathroom is responsible for approximately 60% of a household’s water consumption. The American Water Works Association estimates that if a toilet system predates 1994, each person in the household is responsible for flushing 20.1 gallons of water daily. This wastes more than 14,000 gallons of water every year. Luckily, a household can reduce consumption by installing low-flow toilets. Buy toilets that bear the EPA’s WaterSense label which have been demonstrated to use only 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf). In addition, there are toilets that have both a reduced flush capability (.8 gpf) and a full flush mode (1.6 gpf). Looking to go totally green? Check out toilets that break down human waste products, producing a rich composting material that can be used as fertilizer for non-edible vegetation or trees. Even if an updated toilet has been installed, the homeowner needs to check for leaks regularly. Just one leaky toilet can consume 600 gallons of water each month. To find out if the toilet has a leak, put a few drops of food coloring into the toilet tank. After the tank water turns a deep color, wait 30 minutes. Do not use the toilet during this time. If the color appears in the toilet bowl after 30 minutes, the toilet is leaking. EPA WaterSense calculates that leaky faucets and toilets add 12% to the average homeowner’s water bill. Don’t forget the bathroom shower. Although multi-head or oversized showerheads are currently the rage, these are enormously wasteful, and can use up to 80 gallons of water per minute (gpm). To ascertain how much water the household is consuming in the shower, pour 2.5 gallons of water into a bucket, and mark where the water level is. After emptying the bucket, place it beneath the shower and run the water for one minute. It’s time to buy a new low-flow showerhead if the water has risen higher than the 2.5 gallon mark within those sixty seconds. Merely changing a showerhead can conserve over 7000 gallons of water annually, and save a family of four $285 per year. Cut back on the time spent standing beneath the shower. On average most people shower for at least 8 minutes. Reducing that time by just a couple of minutes will save almost 3000 gallons of water annually. Don’t overlook the bathroom sink. The installation of an inexpensive 1.5-gpm aerator to the sink faucet can conserve several hundred gallons of water each month. And turning down the water heater temperature to 120 degrees F will make the water heater system more efficient. So will insulating the hot water lines. Unfortunately the water flowing out of the new showerheads is often filled with chlorine. While chlorine disinfects the public drinking water, it has not completely broken down when it enters the shower system. Chlorine strips the hair and skin of oils, leading to dryness and irritation. And when chlorine
becomes vaporous during a hot shower, it enters the lungs and can cause respiratory problems. If you experience a headache or irritation of the eyes, nose or throat following a shower, you could have an allergy to chlorine. Installation of a shower filter reduces not only the chlorine in the water but any other chemical toxins, such as chloramines. A filter also benefits skin by helping to maintain normal ph levels. Avoid filters that utilize carbon; carbon attracts germs and is not as effective as other filters on the market. Instead look for filters that use Vitamin C, Calcium Sulfate or Kinetic Degradation Fluxon. After showering, take a few seconds to spray the shower with a natural solution that will help fight mold. Simply mix two cups of white vinegar with 2 teaspoons of lavender oil or tea tree oil, and keep in a spray bottle. A few spritzes daily should eliminate the need for toxic chemical cleaners later. An added bonus is white vinegar’s proven ability to not only fight mold and mildew, but to combat mineral deposits, soap scum and germs. If a plastic shower curtain is hanging in the bathroom, be aware that it very likely contains polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which can release harmful chemicals. Ditch the shower curtains, which often reek of a heavy plastic odor, and replace them with hemp or fabric curtains. Or install glass shower doors. Before scrubbing the bathroom sinks and tub, open a box of baking soda. When mixed with hot water, baking soda makes an effective non-toxic scrub for tile and grout. Keep another spray bottle in the bathroom filled with equal portions of white vinegar and water. This serves as an excellent glass cleaner, especially when paired with recycled paper to wipe down the mirror. And purchase recycled toilet paper, preferably 100% post consumer content paper. Far too many brands of toilet paper – and facial tissue - contain formaldehyde and dioxin. Recycled is always the greener choice. According to a 2008 New York Times environmental report, millions of trees in North America and Latin America are cut down each year just to make a soft fluffy bath tissue. Visit www.greenpeace.org to download their guide to recycled tissue and toilet paper. As for décor, eco-conscious bathrooms often have a live plant or two scattered about. Not only do they add a natural decorative touch, plants reduce humidity, resulting in less mold and mildew. Plants also purify the air of toxins and chemicals such as formaldehyde and acetone. Finally, after making the shower, toilet, tub and sink as green as possible, look over your personal care products. These should be made of organic, nontoxic, cruelty-free ingredients. Using natural beauty products lessens the exposure of harmful chemicals into your body and prevents toxins from shampoos, soaps and hair dye from going down the drain and contaminating the groundwater. An eco-bathroom reduces water bills, helps save old-growth trees, and benefits your skin and hair. So go with the low-flow and make the bathroom a place to become clean – and green. Sharon Pisacreta is a long-time freelance writer who lives in Saugatuck-Douglas. She is also the editor of the online site lakeeffectliving.com. Sharon may be contacted at spisacreta@ twmi.rr.com. natural awakenings
April 2011
35
THE POWER OF PERMACULTURE WOMEN’S WELLNESS SPECIAL EDITION Feel good both inside and out Express your natural beauty Celebrate feminine power
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West Michigan Edition
by John D. Ivanko
Permaculture is often considered a societal revolution disguised as gardening. It shows up in urban hamlets, suburban neighborhoods and rural farmyards. Be they large or small, the diverse flora and fauna in these Gardens of Eden gush with life.
T
For more information about advertising and how you can participate, call
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Care for People, Sustain the Planet, Share the Surplus
he ethics of permaculture are simple: Everything revolves around caring for people and the planet, while sharing the surplus. A term coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s, permaculture melds the needs of human habitation and horticulture, creating viable integrated designs based on natural ecological systems, in which what’s produced by one element of the system becomes the input for another. “It’s about design and relationships,” explains Bill Wilson, co-founder of Midwest Permaculture, with his wife Becky. “Permaculture is larger than gardening. It’s a creative and artful way of living where people and nature are both preserved and enhanced by thoughtful planning and the careful use of re-
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sources. Practices mimic patterns found in nature. Principles reflect a respectful approach to life. Embraced, these attributes create an environment of diversity, stability and resilience, where all may thrive for untold generations.”
Self-Sufficient Systems Permaculture is widely adaptable to suit local climates, soils and geographies, and can scale to any size location that can sustain life. Because nature fosters no waste, permaculture-inspired gardens recycle or reuse all nutrients and energy sources; this approach regenerates natural systems, while boosting the self-sufficiency of human settlements and reducing the need for industrial production systems that rely on polluting energy sources.
Courtesy of John D. Ivanko
COMING IN MAY
GO-TO PERMACULTURE EXPERTS General Education
Permaculture Activist, PermacultureActivist.net Urban Permaculture Guild, UrbanPermacultureGuild.org
Regional Workshops Esalen Institute, Esalen.org
Glacial Lakes Permaculture, GlacialLakesPermaculture.org Midwest Permaculture, MidwestPermaculture.com
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GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The power of permaculture rests in its easy-to-understand foundations. Understanding them and our relationship to Earth’s ecology is where the work begins.
Courtesy of John D. Ivanko
Plants are selected and planted according to the way they help one another. Animals also play key roles in garden sustainability. Free-range chickens, for example, can help fertilize and work up the soil and control insect pests, while providing nutrient-packed eggs; humans, meanwhile, provide shelter, security, a water source and supplemental food. Surplus produced in these gardens is freely shared. “Many permaculturists are concerned about their relationships with others—all others—and the planet,” continues Wilson. “We believe that it is possible to redesign our lives to provide an abundance of food, fiber, energy and shelter for every person on this planet, while dramatically improving overall quality of life.” He notes that only 20 percent of the permaculture process is about growing food. “Permaculture is the big picture,” agrees Heather Lanier, who has developed a plan for Hill of the Hawk Farm, in Big Sur, California. “It’s about how relationships are built and how these relationships help care for one another in the circle of life.” At her farm, the staff are transforming abandoned chicken coops into living spaces and artist studios, and planting a forest garden that will provide shade and fresh fruit, while attracting beneficial insects. Chickens and ducks meander around a series of ponds that collect water in preparation for the region’s long dry season.
Permaculture is for any size property, including an apartment, and for any climate... any place. Just down the road, the Esalen Institute offers educational workshops, which Lanier’s staff have attended. An instructor there also helped complete the permaculture plan for Lanier’s property.
Place-Based Living Permaculture is equally appropriate for the urban and suburban areas where most Americans now live, says Wilson. “It’s for any size property, including an apartment, and for any climate... any place.” He and other permaculture enthusiasts maintain that, “With more and larger settings, together we can have a great positive effect on the total environment.” When it comes to the potential for rural areas, “We can harvest a far greater amount of resources than we do now—water, sun, carbon dioxide and wind—and greatly improve productivity, while improving the overall quality of the region.” However, he quickly clarifies: “One can be very successful in small spaces, too.” John D. Ivanko is the co-author of Rural Renaissance, describing Inn Serendipity’s journey toward sustainability (InnSerendipity.com), based in part on permaculture and onsite generation of wind and solar power.
n Take cues from nature: The goal of permaculture is to mimic a natural landscape, and to make it more productive for human needs, as well. n Put up your own food; preserving a garden’s harvest is like capturing sunlight. n Grow perennials that produce food; plant an edible landscape, not a lawn. n Use less energy, feed the soil and harvest rainwater. On a finite planet, only renewable resources are sustainable. n Enable the surplus of one design element to supply the need of another: Garden scraps feed chickens, which produce manure, which makes compost to nourish the garden. n Strive for self-reliance and resiliency, not self-sufficiency, and engage with the community; permaculture is an integrated system. n Avoid big and fast solutions that can have unintended consequences; make the least change necessary and see if it works. As E.F. Schumacher famously stated: “Small is beautiful.” n There’s strength in diversity; value it
by avoiding a monoculture of anything. n Remember that living on the edge can be a very productive place; not all good ideas come from the mainstream.
Source: Karl J. Schmidt, founder and owner of Glacial Lakes Permaculture, created this summary, adapted from the principles originated by permaculture pioneer David Holmgren, an ecological design engineer. natural awakenings
April 2011
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The Next Generation of Behavioral Healthcare by Brad Oostindie, M.A., L.L.P.
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eurofeedback is among the newer approaches to treating issues such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, stress, migraines, poor sleep, and other behavioral issues. Although “discovered” in the 1960’s, neurofeedback has surged into the clinical mainstream since 2001 due to several reasons. These include more widespread availability of the equipment necessary to do neurofeedback, upgrades in computer technology, dissatisfaction with the current methods of treating these issues, and a growing acceptance within the medical community in accepting neurofeedback as a highly effective intervention. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently announced that in their opinion, biofeedback/neurofeedback is an effective treatment for ADHD. Within the past year or two, research in the field of neurofeedback has hit its stride and a number of high quality study results have been published showing neurofeedback to be effective in addressing a number of clinical problems. The difference between neurofeedback and biofeedback Often used interchangeably with the term biofeedback, neurofeedback is actually quite different. Biofeedback involves actively measuring a bodily response (such as breathing, heart rate, skin temperature, etc.) and training an individual to make changes to these bodily responses to promote a more calm and focused state. Neurofeedback involves use of an electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure brain wave activity. Much the same way the individual engaging in biofeedback changes his or her bodily response by monitoring it closely, the individual participating in neurofeedback has their brain wave activity positively changed to promote calm and focused thinking. Neurofeedback Research and ADHD Researches of neurofeedback have found that individuals with conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, etc… have distinct brain wave signatures that are different from those without these conditions. For example in case of ADHD individuals frequently show an excessive amount of a certain type of brain wave pattern called Theta. Theta waves are slow wave brain wave patterns associated with the brain resting or being tuned out. Although Theta is completely necessary during our dayto-day activities, excessive theta wave patterns can result in an individual being tuned out during important times such as classroom time and work-related meetings. Traditional therapies such as medicine address this issue by activating the excessively resting brain via a stimulant based chemical medication such as Ritalin, Concerta, and other similar medications. Exercise for the brain Neurofeedback positively reinforces focused activity via “exercises” that the brain does during training, thus strengthening the brain to be able to focus on its own. This mental workout for the brain strengthens it and allows it to work more effectively. Neurofeedback and anxiety In considering a condition such as anxiety, neurofeedback can be an effective intervention as well. The EEG signature of an individual with anxiety is often marked by an excessive amount of focused brain wave activity. Although excessive amounts of beta are necessary for us at certain times (during periods of stress or emergencies), excessive beta can lead to being in a prolonged
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activated, anxious, or stressed state. Individuals with anxiety and excessive fast wave issues often describe themselves as feeling anxious or tense even in situations that clearly don’t require that. This is because the brain is “locked” in this heightened state and cannot regulate itself into being calm. New Neural Pathways Neurofeedback trains a brain that is excessively under focused or excessively over-focused to regulate itself in a calm and focused manner. It does this by putting your brain wave activity onto a computer screen (measured by the EEG and translated into data on the computer) and has you engage in either games or other types of activity that reinforces calm, focused thought patterns. Over time newly created neural pathways promote a healthy balance of calm, focused activity in the brain that is now regulated. This helps the individual to establish a calm and focused brain wave pattern as the primary state. In addition to ADHD and anxiety, neurofeedback providers use neurofeedback to address issues such as autism, addictions, chronic pain, headaches, sleep disorders, epilepsy, learning disabilities, obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, tic disorders, among others. Typically, neurofeedback training takes anywhere from 2040 hours of total training time to get the desired results. Sessions typically last 30-45 minutes. Success is obtained about 80% of the time (according to many controlled studies) and most people who get better stay better. Exciting News about Neurofeedback For conditions such as ADHD, two-years “after treatment” followup studies show that for most people who have used neurofeedback, the brain not only stays better, it actually improves slightly outside of treatment for the first two years after treatment. This is the most exciting part of neurofeedback. The brain has learned a new (and better) way to operate and it continues to reinforce and strengthen itself outside of treatment. If regression occurs, typically a few “touch-up” sessions can help get someone back on track. If someone is already taking medication to address his or her clinical condition, training will typically start with the individual taking the medication as prescribed and then as treatment progresses often times medication will be reduced or eliminated as the brain becomes more regulated and doesn’t require the medication. Many neurofeedback providers conduct sessions in their offices and some utilize a home-based program. Although the cost of treatment can be an issue, the long term benefits of being healthy, of not taking and paying for medications, and increased productivity can make this intervention the most cost-effective in the long run. Brad Oostindie is a Master’s level clinical psychologist, and the founder and clinical director at Ready To Focus – a home based biofeedback/neurofeedback practice. As a biofeedback/neurofeedback provider since 2005, he has helped thousands of participants in his programs. Prior to private practice, Oostindie was a pediatric psychologist at the DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. Contact Brad at 800-850-0535 or email brad@readytofocus. com. See ad page 10.
Local Events:
Wednesday, April 6
Exploring Our Energy Future Forum-7:00-9:30pm. How Emerging Technologies are Impacting West Michigan’s Energy Future at Muskegon Community College. Visit exploringourenergyfuture.org for more information.
Friday, April 15
Earth Rock Concert- 7:00-10:00pm. Elks Lodge, 15 S. Third Street, Grand Haven. Environmentally themed music from local bands. Loud and soft. Poets welcome. For more information, and to participate or volunteer, please contact Lexen Sterenberg , lexen1@gmail.com 616 844-4497.
Saturday, April 16
A BILLION ACTS OF GREEN: CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2011
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o you believe in the power of the individual to change the world? Earth Day Network’s A Billion Acts of Green campaign aims to harness the power of millions of individuals, businesses and other organizations through pledges to live and act sustainably in specific ways. Acts range from riding a bike instead of driving to retrofitting a workspace to use renewable energy, as well as organizing or participating in an Earth Day event. In all, more than 45 million acts have already been pledged, including large-scale initiatives such as community beach cleanups, greening schools and tree planting in 16 countries. The goal is to prompt 1 billion large and small acts by the start of the global 2012 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Together, these acts steadily build commitments to measurably reduce carbon emissions and support sustainability. When millions of individuals and groups join in local Earth Day events and vow to follow through on their own pledges to better their environment, the impact can be huge. “People sign the Billion Acts of Green petition with their green actions,” says Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers. Local Earth Day events work to get the ball rolling.
Register your pledge today at EarthDay.org and share word of your green act at any of these local Earth Day 2011 events.
Party for the Planet at John Ball Zoo- 10:00am-3:00pm. Festivities include booths, stations, and demonstrations from the area’s top conservation-minded organizations as well as a convenient drive-up recycling center for just about any items. $5/adults, $4/children 3-13 and children 2 and under are always free. For more information call Krys at 616336-4374 or email KBylund@JohnBallZooSociety.org. Container Gardening – 10:30 am. Container gardening is possible for anyone with access to a bit of sunshine. Members of Heartside Gardeners will help you create a container garden. Participants will leave with a bucket of Snap Peas or Potato seedlings. Free. Grand Rapids Public Library. Grand Rapids. 616-988-5400. Earth Day Green Parade- 12:00-1:00pm. Come join with us on anything that doesn’t use fossil fuels: your feet, your bike, your roller blades, etc. Meet at Franklin Street parking lot south of the courthouse, and proceed around the parade route to the Earth Day Fair at the Grand Haven Community Center. For more information, contact Patti Baldus, patti.baldus@att.net 616 846-5058. Earth Day Fair at the Grand Haven Community Center- 1:00-4:00pm. Visit booths of environmental organizations and businesses, community and educational groups. There will be food and games. Weather permitting; some of the displays and games will be outside in Central Park. For more information or if you would like space to exhibit, contact Dawn Briegel at debriegel@hotmail.com 616 842-6321. Vermicomposting- 3:30-5:00 pm. Let worms eat your garbage! Vermicomposting, or worm composting, is a way to compost your plant and vegetable waste indoors, all year round. Blandford Nature Center staff will teach you haw to make your very own worm bin. Free. Yankee Clipper Library Branch. Grand Rapids. 616-988-5400.
Tuesday, April 19
Film and Discussion: Fresh– 6:30 pm. Celebrating the farmers, thinkers, and businesses across America who are re-inventing our food system. Speakers from the Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council and Heartside Gardeners will explain their organizations’ roles and discuss the film with the audience. Free. Grand Rapids Public Library. 616-988-5400.
Friday, April 22
Community Clean Up Earth Day Event- 4:00pm. Hosted by MI Clinical Massage. Meet at 313 N River Ave Holland, MI 49424. Bring the whole family. We will have a snack and talk about keeping our Planet Clean and using less. Trash bags and glove are provided. FREE to all. WMEAC’s 2011 Earth Day Concert- 7:00pm. Featuring EarthWork Music at Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids. Visit www.Liveatthefountain. org for more information.
Saturday, April 23
Grand River GreenUp- 8:30am-12:30pm. At Riverside Park in Robinson Township. Visit www.grandrivergreenup.com for more information. GRPL Earth Week: Eco Expo- 11:00am-4:00pm. Grand Rapids Public Library- Main location in downtown Grand Rapids. Visit www.grpl.org for more information. Be a part of History! Help put cloth diapers in the record books- 12:00pm Celebrate Earth Day, by joining the North American and International Cloth Diaper community to set the Guinness world record for the most cloth diapers changed simultaneously. Registration required. Visit www.hopscotchstore.com & click on “the Great Cloth Diaper Change 2011” to register. Hop Scotch Children’s Store, 963 Cherry St. SE Grand Rapids. Earth Day Kirtan to Benefit Kids’ Food Basket- 7:00pm Michael H. Cohen will lead an evening of Kirtan - sacred call and response chanting blended with music – that will calm your mind, open your heart and build a deeper connection to yourself and everything around you. Wealthy Street Theater; tickets are $12.50 in advance, $17 at the door. 100% of the tickets sales go directly to Kids Food Basket. Concert is organized by Grand Rapids Yoga for Peace.
Monday, April 25
Animals Among Us! We’re celebrating Earth Day with Blandford Nature Center! You’ll have a chance to interact with different live animals, and find out why certain animals make great pets, while others should stay wild. Join us for fun, hands-on learning about the animals among us! All ages! Free. Donations for Blandford Nature Center accepted. 1715 Hillburn Ave NW, Grand Rapids. 616-735-6240 natural awakenings
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calendarofevents 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, April 2 Health, Wealth & Opportunity- 1:00-3:00 pm. Learn to experience optimal health & wealth simultaneously by creating a new money blueprint & utilizing the formula practiced by Robert Kiyosaki, Dr. Christiane Northrup & millions around the world. Free. Muskegon Yoga Center. Muskegon. 231-668-4181.
Monday, April 4 Ceramic Art for Kids!- 10:30-11:30 am. April showers bring May flowers, so bring your toddlers, preschoolers, and older kiddos in to paint small ceramic flower vases with Teresa from locallyowned Prints & Printsess! FREE. Hop Scotch Children’s Store. Grand Rapids. 616-233-4008. hopscotchstore.com.
Tuesday, April 5 Elimination Communication Parent Group- 11:00 am-12:00 pm. Elimination Communication(EC) is a natural and hygienic way to care for your baby’s elimination needs. You can start as early as birth or apply the principles of the method to older babies. FREE. Hop Scotch Children’s Store. Grand Rapids. 616-233-4008. hopscotchstore.com. How can I increase my energy?- 6:30 pm. Join us for a complimentary dinner and learn how dietary excellence can help energy levels. The Wellness Forum. 830 Forest Hill Ave. Grand Rapids. Call 616-942-7907 to RSVP.
Wednesday, April 6 Guided Meditation and Healing Circle - 7:008:00 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, 3368 E. Beltline Ct. NE, Grand Rapids. 269-929-6796. Taizé Sung Prayer Service- 7:00 pm. Taizé worship consists of simple choruses, which are repeated many times and are often accompanied by instruments and vocal solos. Open to all. A wonderful way to connect with God in the midst of a busy week. First United Methodist Church. Grand Rapids. 616-451-2879. FRESH The Movie- 7:00 pm. This documentary celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision of our food and our planet’s future. Ludington Area Center for the Arts. Ludington.
Thursday, April 7 Healing Energy and Tea(HEAT)- 6:00 pm. HEAT is a group energy share with tea. Hosted by Perry’s Place llc for herbs teas and more. Free will donation! Cedar Springs. Call 989-330-6835 for more information.
Friday, April 8 Spa Party/ Girls’ Night Out- 7:00-9:00 pm. Enjoy
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a relaxing evening of restorative yoga, pure skin care products and healthy snacks. Create you beauty and health from the inside out and the outside in. $10. Muskegon Yoga Center. Muskegon. 231668-4181. The Secret of “The Secret”- 7:00-9:00 pm. Have you heard of the “Secret”? Are you living the life you have always dreamed of? Pre-register with NSC for a seat to this life altering event. $25 if preregistered. $30 at the door. Nature’s Spiritual Connections. Grand Rapids. 616-929-4204.
Saturday, April 9 Essential Oil Basic Training I- 10:00 am-12:00 pm. & II 1:00 pm-3:00 pm. Learn the basics of the benefits and applications of Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils and more. 2 hrs per class. $15/ training w/ advanced registration or $20 at the door. Minerva’s Hand. Spring Lake. To preregister call 616-443-4225. Vision Board Building Workshop- 1:00-2:30 pm. Apply the Law of Attraction to your life as you create your own Vision Board about what you want to be, do, and have in life. $15 includes materials. Utopian Marketplace. Montague.
Sunday, April 10 Circle Pines Summer Camp Open HouseExplore the facilities and landscape. You can send your child to camp or rent the grounds for an event. This is your chance to come out and meet the staff and discover what CPC has to offer. Free. Circle Pines Center. Delton. 269-623-5555. Crossing the Border of Death-10:00-11:00 am. Join the discussion at the monthly Eckankar Worship Service. Free. Dominican Center at Marywood, Rm #4, 2025 E Fulton St, Grand Rapids. 616-245-7003. Reiki I & II class- 10:00 am-4:00 pm. Become attuned and learn how to give Reiki treatment to self and others. $225 include manual and the $50 deposit required to register. 8 CE Hours. 4434 Knapp St. Grand Rapids. Call 616-443-4225 to register. What’s Organic about Organic?- 2:00 pm. The award-winning documentary will be shown at the Harbor Theater, 1937 Lakeshore Drive, Muskegon as a special event sponsored by the Lakeside District Association. This is a fundraiser to support the beautification and pocket garden of Lakeside. Cost $6. 231-755-7606.
Monday, April 11 Story Time with Children’s Author and Illustrator Amy Young!- 10:30-11:30 am. This fabulously talented Michigan author/illustrator of the popular “Belinda the Ballerina” books will be reading her most recent book, “What Makes You HAPPY?” FREE. Hop Scotch Children’s Store. Grand Rapids. 616-233-4008. hopscotchstore.com. Free Volunteer Training- 6:30-8:00 pm. If you like working with mothers, children, and babies, please consider giving your time to help MomsBloom. Our volunteers offer support after
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a baby comes home. Grand Rapids. For more information please contact angie@momsbloom. org or 616-828-1021.
Tuesday, April 12 Leaky Gut & The Foul Bowel- 1:00-2:30 pm. The Peter M. Wege Health & Learning Center. 300 Lafayette Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Conference Room #11. Free community workshop: How to do Trigger Point Massage- 6:00 pm. Workshop participants will learn what a trigger point is, what causes them and how to prevent them. The Foundation for Wellness Professionals. Grand Rapids. Seating is limited to the first 30 callers. Make your reservations today by calling 616-447-9888. Infertility Support Group- 7:00 pm. A confidential support group for those experiencing the struggles and challenges of infertility meets the Meetings include speakers, doctors, videos, support and fellowship. Open to anyone experiencing miscarriages, neonatal death, the inability to get pregnant or secondary infertility. First United Methodist Church. Grand Rapids. 616-451-2879.
Wednesday, April 13 Guided Meditation, Prayer and Healing Circle7:00-8:00 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.
Thursday, April 14 4-Day Retreat- 9:00 am-7:00 pm. 4/14-4/17. Dr. Indu Arora returns from teacher training in Budapest to be apart of a 4-day retreat with Satya Yoga Center. This is for students of ALL LEVELS & teachers of ALL STYLES. Full package $375. Individual classes Satya Yoga Center. Saugatuck. 269-857-7289. How Can Reflexology Help My Ailments?- 7:00 pm. Learn how this therapy stimulates healing in the body by enhancing the function of the nervous system. The Wellness Forum. 830 Forest Hill. Grand Rapids. 616-942-7907.
Friday, April 15 Shooting in the Wild: Education, Ecology and Ethics in Wildlife Films - Distinguished film producer Chris Palmer is the Wege Foundation’s 15th annual speaker at the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center from 4-5pm. Lecture is free and open to the public. RSVP to harbuell@ aquinas.edu by April 6. Women’s Weekend- Give yourself the GIFT of a weekend away. Karen Godfrey and Kat VanHammen will facilitate a creative, supportive and rejuvenating weekend. Delicious meals will be provided. $160 includes 2 nights lodging and 5 from-scratch meals. Circle Pines Center. Delton. 269-623-5555. Second Best Sale- 9:00 am–4:30 pm. The Second Best Sale is a giant rummage sale with over 2,000 gently used items donated by the congregation. The sale is free to enter. All sales go to support First Church ministry. First United Methodist Church. Grand Rapids. 616-451-2879. Pot Luck Poetry- 6:00-9:00 pm. Come join us for our monthly potluck. Please bring a preferably healthy dish to pass along with your own plate and cutlery (meal is free, drinks are not). Perry’s Place
llc. Cedar Springs. Please let us know if you are coming: 989-330-6835. Earth Rock Concert- 7:00 to 10:00 pm. Environmentally themed music from local bands. Loud and soft. Poets welcome. Elks Lodge, 15 S. Third Street, Grand Haven. For more info please contact Lexen Sterenberg 616-844-4497.
Saturday, April 16 Women’s Weekend- Give yourself the GIFT of a weekend away. Karen Godfrey and Kat VanHammen will facilitate a creative, supportive and rejuvenating weekend. Delicious meals will be provided. COST: $160 includes 2 nights lodging and 5 from-scratch meals. Circle Pines Center. Delton. 269-623-5555. MI Clinical Massage Marches for Babies!Register: 8:30 am. Group Warm up and Walk start: 9:00 am. Join our Team or Donate Today. Meet at Centennial Park. Holland. Call Kate at 616-7960737 for more info. Learn to Ride your Bike Clinic- 10:00 am12:00 pm. Kids will learn progressions and skills for riding a bike! Members $25. Non-members $30. Gymco. Grand Rapids. 616-956-0586. gymco.com. Gallery Opening Reception- 10:00 am-5:00 pm. “The Birds & The Bees & The Flowers & The Trees.” A celebration of Spring by an eclectic array of fine and contemporary artists, including pottery, glass, paintings, jewelry, and more. Art Cats Gallery, Studio of Louise Hopson, 1845 Lakeshore Drive, Muskegon. 231-755-7606. artcatsgallery.com. Health Expo “Create A Healthier YOU” CoSponsored by West Michigan Healers & Unity of Muskegon-10:00 am-4:00 pm. Featuring many of West Michigan’s most talented healers informing, discussing, and demonstrating a wide range of alternative modalities. Unity of Muskegon. $5. Contact Kay Bazzett for more info. waykay@ core.com. Looks Better on You Clothing Swap- 10:00 am–4:00 pm. Bring gently used clothes and accessories you no longer need for someone else and take what will look better on you. Save money and the environment! Baby clothes to adult clothes welcome. Free. Grand Rapids Public Library. Grand Rapids. 616-988-5400. Reiki I & II Class- 10:00 am-4:00 pm. Become attuned and learn how to give Reiki treatment to self and others. $225 includes manual and the $50 deposit required to register. 8 CE Hours. Minerva’s Hand. Spring Lake. Call 616-443-4225 to register. Container Gardening – 10:30 am. Container gardening is possible for anyone with access to a bit of sunshine. Members of Heartside Gardeners will help you create a container garden. Participants will leave with a bucket of Snap Peas or Potato seedlings. Free. Grand Rapids Public Library. Grand Rapids. 616-988-5400. Earth Day Green Parade- 12:00-1:00 pm. Fossil fuels free. Join us on your feet, your bike, or your roller blades. Meet at Franklin St. parking lot south of the courthouse. Follow the parade route to the Earth Day Fair at Grand Haven Community Center. For more info, contact Patti Baldus. 616 846-5058. Earth Day Fair- 1:00-4:00 pm. Visit booths of environmental organizations and businesses, community and educational groups. There will be food and games. Grand Haven Community Center.
For more info or if you would like space to exhibit, contact Dawn Briegel at 616 842-6321. Module 3: Mood, Food, and the Body- 1:30-3:00 pm. In this segment we will delve into the influence of food, life cycles, detoxification, and environment on mood and energy. $28 each or $70 for the series. Expressions of Grace Yoga. Grand Rapids. 616361-8580 expressionsofgraceyoga.com. Vermicomposting- 3:30-5:00 pm. Let worms eat your garbage! Vermicomposting, or worm composting, is a way to compost your plant and vegetable waste indoors, all year round. Blandford Nature Center staff will teach you haw to make your very own worm bin. Free. Yankee Clipper Library Branch. Grand Rapids. 616-988-5400. Natural Cosmetics– 4:00 pm. Pamela Motyka, of SP Fine Body and Bath, explains the benefits of natural beauty products to your body and the environment. Free. Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library St. NE, Grand Rapids. 616-988-5400. Jazz Vespers–6:00 pm. Jazz Vespers is meant for jazz and worship lovers of all ages, featuring jazz ensembles from around West Michigan in a liturgical setting. Steve Talaga and Mind’s Eye. Free of charge. First United Methodist Church. Grand Rapids. 616-451-2879. Community Group Meditation- 6:00-8:00 pm. A guided meditation session and discussion of the benefits and challenges of a personal meditation practice. Facilitated by Danielle Alandt. Free Will Offering Appreciated. Nature’s Spiritual Connections. Grand Rapids. 616-929-4204.
Sunday, April 17 Women’s Weekend- Give yourself the GIFT of a weekend away. Karen Godfrey and Kat VanHammen will facilitate a creative, supportive and rejuvenating weekend. Delicious meals will be provided. COST: $160 includes 2 nights lodging and 5 from-scratch meals. Circle Pines Center. Delton. 269-623-5555. Health Expo “Create A Healthier YOU” CoSponsored by West Michigan Healers & Unity of Muskegon-1:00-4:00 pm. Featuring many of West Michigan’s most talented healers informing, discussing, and demonstrating a wide range of alternative modalities. Unity of Muskegon. $5. Contact Kay Bazzett for more info. waykay@ core.com.
Monday, April 18 Story Time with Children’s Author and Illustrator Leslie Helakoski!- 10:30-11:30 am. Leslie’s popular “Big Chickens” picture book series has won numerous state book awards including the 2007 Michigan Reads. We’ll be doing a craft afterwards for toddlers on up that connects to the book. Free. Hop Scotch Children’s Store. Grand Rapids. 616-233-4008. hopscotchstore.com. Vermicomposting- 6:30-8:00 pm. Let worms eat your garbage! Vermicomposting, or worm composting, is a way to compost your plant and vegetable waste indoors, all year round. Blandford Nature Center staff will teach you haw to make your very own worm bin. Free. Grand Rapids Main Library. Grand Rapids. 616-988-5400. Focus on The Foot-7:00-8:30 pm. Emphasis on plantar fasciitis Interactive Seminar Sponsored by EcoTrek Fitness. FREE. 428 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids. RSVP to info@ecotrekfitness.com or call Cari at 616-291-2851.
Tuesday, April 19 Is it Dyslexia?- 6:30 pm. What are the characteristics of dyslexia? 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. Pre-register by calling 616-534-1385. For more info please visit newchapterlearning.net. Mark Newman: Sooper Yooper– 6:30 pm. Writer Mark Newman collaborated with the late artist Mark Heckman on the children’s picture book, Sooper Yooper: Environmental Defender. Newman will talk about the creative process behind the book and the importance of protecting the Great Lakes. Free. Grand Rapids Public Library. Grand Rapids. 616-988-5400. Food for Autism: Learn What’s Missing from Gluten Free Diets- 7:00-8:30 pm. 3rd Tuesday. Dan Corrigan. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Grand Rapids. 616-309-9147. Corganic.com
Wednesday, April 20 “PowWow” at Facility Kitchens for bakers, caterers, chefs, & food entrepreneurs– 6:007:30 pm. This month’s agenda - how to get a food establishment license, and a brainstorming session on “Successfully selling the food you produce”. Go to FacilityKitchens.com Film and Discussion: Fresh– 6:30 pm. Celebrating the farmers, thinkers, and businesses across America who are re-inventing our food system. Speakers from the Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council and Heartside Gardeners will explain their organizations’ roles and discuss the film with the audience. Free. Grand Rapids Public Library. 616-988-5400.
Thursday, April 21 Free Patient Education Night!- 6:00-7:00pm Dr. Ann Auburn presents “Hormones for Health, Well Being and Weight Loss.” Ever wonder why you feel so tired, brain foggy and unmotivated? Where did my sense of well being go? This lecture with answer these questions and more! Natural Health Improvement Center. Grandville. 616-301-0808. Film and Discussion: Tapped– 7:00 pm. Stephanie Soechtig’s debut feature is an unflinching examination of the big business of bottled water. After the viewing, a panel will discuss the film and local water issues with the audience. Free. Grand Rapids Public Library. 616-988-5400.
Friday, April 22 Grand Opening of Color Trendz Earth Day Event!- 10:00am-7:00pm. Michigan’s only eco-friendly paint & color boutique. Great sales specials, free product demonstrations, free instudio home color consultations, prize drawings! Connect with house painters, plaster artisans, granite fabricators and creative eco-artists. Kalamazoo. 269-967-7773. MI Clinical Massage is Hosting A Community Clean UP Earth Day- 4:00 pm. We will have a snack and talk about keeping our planet clean and using less. Trash bags and gloves are provided. FREE. Holland. 616-796-0737. Good Friday Service- 7:00 pm. All are welcome to this contemplative service of drama, music, and a time of meditation and prayer. First United Methodist Church. Grand Rapids. 616-451-2879.
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Saturday, April 23 Open Pure Meditation and Silent Prayer during the Easter Celebration Silent Retreat7:30 am-9:00 pm. Come and go as you wish; everyone of all faiths, meditation practices and traditions is welcomed. No charge. Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre. Bath. 517-641-6201. SelfRealizationCentreMichigan.org. Grand River GreenUp- 9:00 am-12:00 pm. Bring family, friends, and neighbors to Riverside Park to volunteer and clean up the banks of the Grand River. We need hundreds of volunteers like YOU! Co-sponsored by the West Michigan Environmental Action Council and Grand Haven Area Jaycees. To register, contact Kristi Klomp at kklomp@wmeac.org. Essential Oil Training III (Raindrop)- 10:00 am12 pm & IV (Emotional Clearing) 1:00-3:00 pm. Learn the benefits of these sets of oils, and how to apply them. 2 CE hrs./class. $15 per training with advanced registration or $20 at the door. Minerva’s Hand. Spring Lake. To pre-register call 616-4434225. Learn to Ride your Bike Clinic- 10:00 am-12:00 pm. Kids will learn progressions and skills for riding a bike! Members $25. Non-members $30. Gymco. Grand Rapids. 616-956-0586. gymco. com. Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market– 10:00 am–4:00 pm. Several local farmers and artists will transform the parking lot into a bustling market. Farmers will sell a variety of local and often free-range and chemical-free goods. Local artists will be selling handmade items. Free. West Leonard Branch. Grand Rapids. 616-988-5400. Guinness Record for Cloth Diapers- 12:00 pm. Cloth diapers have come a long way in 10 years. It’s time to stand up and be noticed. Celebrate Earth Day, trying to set the Guinness world record for the most cloth diapers changed simultaneously. Hop Scotch Children’s Store. Grand Rapids. Registration required. Go to hopscotchstore.com to register. Super Hero Training- 6:00-9:00 pm. Swing, Soar, and Save! Practice super hero skills at Gymco! Members $20. Non-members $25. Gymco. Grand Rapids. 616-956-0586. gymco.com
Sunday, April 24 Open Pure Meditation and Silent Prayer during the Easter Celebration Silent Retreat7:30 am-9:00 pm. Come and go as you wish; everyone of all faiths, meditation practices and traditions is welcomed. No charge. Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre. Bath. 517-641-6201. SelfRealizationCentreMichigan.org. Easter Sunday Services- 9:15 and 11:00 am. Join us in the celebration of Easter Sunday. First United Methodist Church. 227 East Fulton St, Grand Rapids. 616-451-2879. Easter morning Pure Meditation Gathering10:15 am. We warmly welcome everyone, of all faiths and practices, to join us, sharing in Mata Yogananda’s Message and Blessing. Please visit our website for details. No charge. Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre. Bath. 517-641-6201. SelfRealizationCentreMichigan.org. Earth Day Celebration!- 11:00 am-4:00 pm. Upcycled clothes, beautiful art, furniture, home & garden decor, and jewelry all made from recycled items. Info on rain barrels, compost bins, and
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West Michigan Edition
energy tips available. Free butterfly bush with food pantry donation to Love INC. Minerva’s Hand. Spring Lake. Contact Jessee: 616-405-1214.
Monday, April 25 Animals Among Us!- 10:30-11:30 am. We’re celebrating Earth Day with Blandford Nature Center! You’ll have a chance to interact with different live animals, and find out why certain animals make great pets, while others should stay wild. All ages! FREE. Hop Scotch Children’s Store. Grand Rapids. 616233-4008. hopscotchstore.com. Community Meet up Group- 6:00 pm. In support of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” Initiative. Spring Lake District Library. Spring Lake. Details on “Let’s Move!” can be found at http:// www.letsmove.gov and the Community Meetup Group page at http://www.meetup.com/Lets-Move/ Grand-Haven-MI/67901.
Wednesday, April 27 Being an Instrument of God’s Love-7:00-8:00 pm. Join the discussion and expand your understanding of God with local members of Eckankar. Free. Wyoming Public Library, Conference Room, 3350 Michael SW, Wyoming. 616-245-7003.
Thursday, April 28 Share & Care Meeting- 7:00-9:00 pm. 4th Thursday of each month (Jan-Oct). CFS Solutions of West Michigan. St. Mary’s Healthcare Southwest 2373 64th St. Byron Center, MI 49315.
Saturday, April 30 Becoming a Christed Creator-9:30 am-3:00 pm. In this workshop, you will be connecting to Jesus miracles, current scientific thoughts, quantum mechanics and more! Blending thoughts and teachings together, plays a significant part in your learning to become a “Christed Creator”. Bring lunch, paper and pen. $25. Coptic Center. Grand Rapids. Advanced Reiki- 10:00 am-4:00 pm. Enhance your Reiki skills. 8 CE Hours. Pre-registration required with $50 deposit a week prior to class. Class fee $275 includes manual, certificate, CE Hours, & deposit. Minerva’s Hand. Spring Lake. Call 616-443-4225 to register. Learn to Ride Your Bike Clinic- 10:00 am-12:00 pm. Kids will learn progressions and skills for riding a bike! Members $25. Non-members $30. Gymco. Grand Rapids. 616-956-0586. gymco.com.
Monday, May 2 Spring Detox Seminar- 6:30-8:00 pm. Presented by Irv Marcus, Nationally Board Certified Acupuncturist/Oriental Medicine Physician. $49 includes Chinese Herbs for detox + $10 gift certificate good for acupuncture at Lisa W. Lee’s International Wellness Partners, 14998 Cleveland St Suite C, Spring Lake. 616-634-2714.
Thursday, May 5 International Day of the Midwife- Join the MMA in a “Walk to Durban” 5K walk to Raise Awareness About Midwife-Led Care: Lansing MI. http:// www.internationalmidwives.org/Portals/5/2010/ The%20Road%20to%20Durban!.pdf
Friday, May 6 Neonatal Resuscitation Certification/ReCertification- With instructor Linda Johnson, CNM - all are welcome to certify in this program.
NaturalWestMichigan.com
Certification lasts for two years. We will be using the 6th edition of the textbook, and you must take the on-line exam before the workshop. Lansing MI. www.michiganmidwives.org.
Saturday, May 7 What Do Other Midwives Do About...? - This will be a panel of midwives who have successfully operated a practice for a number of years, having gained a lot of experience with students, charting, practice guidelines, and more. Lansing MI. Watch for more info in the Spring newsletter, a conference flyer and the MMA website! www. michiganmidwives.org Mothers Of The Milky Way Presents: A Day For Babies- Breast Milk Donation Drive & Mother Celebration. Be pampered & empowered by your local birthing and natural living experts. Samples, Prizes, Workshops & more! The Evolve Center For Success. Grand Rapids. 616-633-5787.
S AVE T H E D ATE Save The Date Events Must be submitted online each month at NaturalWestMichigan.com. Events priced $80 or above require a corresponding display ad. There is a $45 charge per listing, up to 50 words. If you are a current advertiser, distribution site or non-profit you may use this listing in place of one of your free listings for a $25 charge.
S AVE T H E D ATE May 12-14th
Re-discover Your Health Workshop- Dr. Dana C.Young will offer a FREE class 7-9pm on 5/12, Discuss Anatomy of cancer & L-Forms on 5/13 9-5pm & Dr. K. Stephen Whiting will teach solving the top disease issues: Diabetes, Heart disease and Weight Management on 5/14, 9-5pm. Grand Rapids Holiday Inn Airport. 616-698-6148.
S AVE T H E D ATE Saturday, June 4th
This is a Healing Journey- 10:00am-4:00pm. The Coptic Center welcomes you to join their Ministerial Candidates during a daylong seminar with inspirational speakers and workshops that will take you on your own personal healing journey. Topics like Vibrational Medicine, Forgiveness, and Emotional Energy will be explored. Love Offering. For details visit www.thecopticcenter.org.
ongoingevents 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.
Sunday C3Exchange, 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. 616-8421985. 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. Unity Church of Peace 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. 989-352-6500. Unity of Muskegon “A Church of Light, Love & Laughter”- 10:30 am weekly. Sunday Services & Youth Education. Minister: Rev. John W. Williams. 2052 Bourdon St., Muskegon. 231759-7356. unitymuskegon.org. The Coptic Center Sunday Series – 6:00 pm. An ongoing series of inspirational speakers, centering and the piano music of Karen Lauck. The Coptic Center, 0-381 Lake Michigan Dr NW, Grand Rapids. 616-531-1339. TheCopticCenter.org.
Monday $30 Off BioMeridian Assessments- State-of-theart profiling and tracking of all 58 meridians in the body with take-home computer generated results to assess progress. Grand Rapids. 616-365-9176. For more info visit integrativenutritionaltherapies.com. Vinyasa- 8:30 am. This class will teach the practitioner the skills to build asanas into flowing sequences by combining breath with movement. $10-$16. Seva Yoga. East Grand Rapids. 616458-2541. sevayoga.net Yoga-Beginning- 9:00 am. This is where you start. Learn the basic poses, strengthen, breath awareness and relax. For more information visit SmilingLotusYoga.com or call Smiling Lotus Yoga, 103 E. Ludington Ave, Ludington. 231-852-0849. La Leche League of Oceana County- 10:00am. 2nd Monday of every month at the Shelby UMC. LLL provides mother to mother breastfeeding support and encouragement. For breastfeeding or meeting info contact Amanda 231-861-2535. wildwoodwholisticarts@hotmail.com Pilates on the Mat- 6:00 pm. Beg/Int. Move with grace and flexibility at the only studio in Holland
featuring the STOTT PILATES® Method. Align Fitness. Holland. AlignFitnessofHolland.com or call 616-928-0929. Kripalu Yoga with Marro Spehar - 7:30 pm. 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.
Tuesday Gentle Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman- 7:459:00 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. Barre Fitness Class- 9:30 am. Jiggle-free arms, toned thighs, lifted seat! $5 to try first class! Align Fitness. Holland. See full schedule at AlignFitnessofHolland.com or call 616-928-0929. Yoga for Everyone- 10:00-11:15 am. Robert Huttinga PA-C. $3.00. The Healing Center. Lakeview. TheHealingCenterOfLakeview.com. 989-352-6500. Natural Health for Beginners- 6:00-7:00 pm. 6 wk natural health series April 19th-May 24th. $69. Space is limited. Please Rsvp by April 12, 2011. Payment must be made in full by the start of first class. 360 Massage and Holistic Care. Grand Rapids. 616-242-0034.
Wednesday $30 Off BioMeridian Assessments- State-of-theart profiling and tracking of all 58 meridians in the body with take-home computer generated results to assess progress. Grand Rapids. 616-365-9176. For more info visit integrativenutritionaltherapies.com. Sweet Medicine Sundance Path- Exploring the Shamanic Teachings of the Sweet Medicine Sundance Path with Marie Moon Star Seeker. Every other Wednesday. Rockford. 616-856-4957 for details. Vinyasa- 8:30 am. This class will teach the practitioner the skills to build asanas into flowing sequences by combining breath with movement. $10-$16. Seva Yoga. East Grand Rapids. 616458-2541. sevayoga.net Essential Oil Training- 9:00-11:00 am. A different class offered each week. $15 per class w/advanced registration or $20 at the door. 4434 Knapp St. Grand Rapids. To pre-register call 616-443-4225. Kripalu Yoga with Marro Spehar - 10:30 am. 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. A Course in Miracles- 6:00-8:00 pm. Love offering accepted. Robert Huttinga PA-C. The Healing Center. Lakeview. TheHealingCenterOfLakeview. com. 989-352-6500. Pilates on the Mat- 6:00 pm. Int/Adv level
STOTT PILATES® Method mat class, must have permission to attend. Align Fitness. Holland. AlignFitness ofHolland.com or call 616-928-0929. Grand Rapids Buddhist Meditation Group7:30 pm. Wednesday evenings. April 1st thru May 31st. Sitting and walking meditation followed by book study. Beginner’s welcome. Free. Sacred Space. Grand Rapids. For info, contact Barb Howard, 616-452-2115.
Thursday Barre Fitness Class- 9:30 am. Get addicted to Barre Fitness just in time for summer swimsuit season! $5 to try first class! Align Fitness, Holland. See full schedule at AlignFitnessofHolland.com or call 616-928-0929. Essential Oil Training- 1:00-3:00 pm. A different class offered each week. $15 per class w/advanced registration or $20 at the door. 4434 Knapp St. Grand Rapids. To pre-register call 616-443-4225. Classes for the Childbearing Year and Beyond6:00pm. Every 3rd Thursday. Designed to educate & support wholistic parenting & living from pregnancy through parenting and beyond. Donation of $5-10 is appreciated but not required. Advance registration required. Full Circle Midwifery, 4220 E. Loop Rd Hesperia. Amanda 231-861-2535 or wildwoodwholisticarts@hotmail.com
Friday Vinyasa- 8:30 am. This class will teach the practitioner the skills to build asanas into flowing sequences by combining breath with movement. $10-$16. Seva Yoga. East Grand Rapids. 616458-2541. sevayoga.net Yoga-Intermediate- 9:00 am. Learn the basics. Holding poses longer, moving deeper into your practice and awareness of the core. For details visit SmilingLotusYoga.com or call Smiling Lotus Yoga, 103 E. Ludington Ave, Ludington. 231-852-0849. Fridays in April- 6:00-7:30 pm. Learn how to spin Alpaca fiber into yarn. $15 w/ wheel and fiber or $10 w/ your own wheel. Pre-registration required. Minerva’s Hand. Spring Lake. Contact Jessee: 616-405-1214. Kripalu Yoga with Marro Spehar - 7:00 pm. Gentle/Moderate. Drop-ins welcome. For details visit sevayoga.net. Seva Yoga Studio, 2213 Wealthy Ste 220, East Grand Rapids. 616-458-2541.
Saturday Anusara Inspired Yoga- 8:30 am. Integrated approach to Hatha Yoga where expression of the human spirit is interwoven w/ precise principles of physical alignment and action. $10 - $16 per class. Seva Yoga. East Grand Rapids. 616 4582541. sevayoga.net Gentle Hatha Yoga with Mitch Coleman – 9:0010:15 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. Every other Saturday. Indoors at Hackley Health at the Lakes, Harvey St. 1/2 Mile South of Lakes Mall. Exit US 31 at Pontaluna Rd. Muskegon.
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thenaturaldirectory
classifieds To place a Classified Listing: Email listing to Publisher@NaturalWestMichigan. com. Must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publication. $1.00 per word; must be pre-paid.
...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.
FOR SALE
SAMIR RAJANI, MD
80 Acre Farm. Insulated, vinyl sided, 6 bedroom home. Dairy barn, workshop, 4 stall garage. Muskegon River/Hardy area. $239,000. Rob Breen 231-652-1100. Sandy Pines Lot 818. 32 ft, 1984 Kropf. Enclosed porch, shed, deck, 2 golf carts. Furnished. $22,900. Lake view. Kathy 616-896-8315. House, Barn & 7 acre Farm on Lowell schools bus line. 2,500 sq. ft. Rustic cedar sided New England saltbox with cedar sided 2-story barn. 4-bedrooms, 2 ½ baths. Large country kitchen with island and walk-in brick fireplace, wide pine plank floors, wood ceilings & beams. Living/family room has large stone fireplace $289,000. Call 616-443-8446.
OPPORTUNITIES
C U R R E N T LY P U B L I S H I N G NATURAL AWAKENINGS MAGAZINES - For sale in Birmingham, AL; Lexington, KY; Manhattan, NY; North Central, FL; Tulsa, OK; Southwest VA and Volusia/Flagler, FL. Call for details 239-530-1377. Holistic & Green Business Owners Wanted for Health Network- NAN, the Natural Awakenings Network, is a green and healthy living network that will allow members to enjoy discounts on products & services focused on wellness, green/ sustainable living and healthy lifestyles. If you are interested in becoming a provider (a business or organization that offers discounts to members) in this innovative network or want more details, contact Natural Awakenings at 616-656-9232 or Publisher@NaturalWestMichigan.com. Participating as a Provider is Free for the 1st year.
SPACE AVAILABLE
Office Space for Rent in a holistic healing and counseling center in Big Rapids, MI For more information, please contact Bonnie Cripe at 231-592-8090 or email at northlandcounseling@charter.net 44
West Michigan Edition
ACUPUNCTURE Medical Acupuncturist SHMG Internal Medicine 890 S. Washington, Suite 130, Holland 616-395-9000 www.shmg.org 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 SHMG Internal Medicine.
ALTERNATIVE HEALTH PRACTITIONER OUT of THE BLUE INC
Nancy Despres RN, MBE 351 Cummings NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49534 616-453-4215 www.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.
AYURVEDA MINDFUL BODY TRANSFORMATION Chad: 616-581-8881 myzconnection@att.net Order 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!
BODYWORK WHOLISTIC KINESIOLOGY HEALTH SERVICES, LLC Barbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT 616-581-3885 www.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 29.
NaturalWestMichigan.com
BUILDING / CONSTRUCTION DLH CONCEPTS
Kyle Hass Licensed Residential Home Builder hasskyle@gmail.com 616-299-5815 Locally owned and operated. Specializing in building custom livable and affordable new homes that are Energy Efficient and utilize Green Building practices. Unmatched efficiencies and uncompromising quality. See ad page 21.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE DYNAMIC FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC
Dr. Ronson Dykstra & Dr. Ronda VanderWall 4072 Chicago Drive, Grandville 616-531-6050 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 CHIROPRACTIC AND HEALING SPA
Dr. 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.
CLEANING PRODUCTS NATURAL HEALTH 4 TODAY Clara VanderZouwen 616-698-6148 www.NaturalHealth4Today.com
Imagine cleaning with only water! Improve the quality of your life with Norwex products by radically reducing the use of chemicals in personal care and cleaning. New to Michigan! See ad page 13.
CLOTH DIAPERS BOOTYFUL BABY BOUTIQUE, LLC Allendale, Michigan 616-892-1525 www.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! See ad page 48.
COLON HYDROTHERAPY HARMONY ‘N HEALTH
Mary De Lange, CCT., CMT. 1003 Maryland Av., N.E. Grand Rapids 616-456-5033 www.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 33.
TRICIA E. GOSLING
Holistic Care Approach 3368 Beltline Ct NE 616-481-9074 Offering an advanced clientcentered 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. Visit www.holisticenergytherapies.net
COUNSELING JANICE DE LANGE, PH.D
1514 Wealthy St. SE Ste 260, Grand Rapids 616-451-3008 JDelange06@yahoo.com www.janicedelange.com 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 / HOLISTIC DENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER
Dr. Kevin P. Flood DDS 616-974-4990 www.FloodTheDentist.com Comprehensive Holistic Dental Services – Amalgam Removal & Replacement. Bio-Compatible, metal-free materials, LowDose Digital X-Rays, Gentle Anesthesia, Dentistry for Diabetes, TMJ, Chronic Head & Neck pain and Non Surgical Perio. See ad page 2.
DYSLEXIA
HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER THE WELLNESS FORUM
NEW CHAPTER LEARNING
Sandra McPhall Licensed Davis Dyslexia Correction Provider 616-534-1385 www.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. See ad page 15.
HEALTH FOOD STORES
ENERGY HEALING
AFFORDABLE NUTRITION
AMA~DEUS®
Beth Cosmos Grand Rapids: 616-648-3354 www.ama-deus-international.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 15.
MATRIX ENERGETICS
Barbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT 616-581-3885 www.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 29.
ESSENTIAL OILS BE YOUNG ESSENTIAL OILS
Clara Vander Zouwen 616-698-6148 www.NaturalHealth4Today.com Certified in Aromatherapy by Dana C. Young PhD, for Pain issues, PMS, ADHD, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Weight loss and more. Offering Emotional Release, Bio-Energy Scans & Ionic Foot Detoxification. See ad page 13.
HEAVENLY HEALINGS HEALTH SERVICES
830 Forest Hill Ave Grand Rapids, MI 49546 616-942-7907 www.WellnessForum.com Educational programs for personal health improvement Workplace wellness programs - Wellness Forum Foundation focused on school nutrition and children’s health - National conferences.
HOLISTIC
Jodi Jenks - Reiki Master 4434 Knapp St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525 www.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, 616443-4225 or heavenlyhealings@ yahoo.com. See ad page 27.
Joel D. Manning, CNC®, Owner 7493 Cottonwood Drive, Jenison 616-667-1346 Affordable, natural approach to better health. Certified nutritional consultant. 20 years experience. Offering select high quality vitamins and nutritional supplements. Weight loss, cleansing, sports nutrition & more! Senior & Everyday discounts. Visit www.Affordable-Nutrition.com.
HEALTH HUTT
Grand Haven - 616-846-3026 Muskegon - 231-739-1568 North Muskegon - 231-744-0852 www.HealthHutt.net Natural & organic foods, vitamins & herbs, sports nutrition, gluten free food, natural body and homecare products. Open 7 days a week. See ad, page 29.
HOLISTIC HEALTH CENTERS THE HEALING CENTER
352 S. Lincoln Ave, Lakeview 989-352-6500 www.TheHealingCenterOfLakeview.com Naturopathic / Holistic Practitioners. Physician assistant, Certified Natural Health Professionals. Private consultations. Counseling & Classes. Blood typing, acupressure, emotional release, iridology, homeopathy, massage therapy, reflexology, cranial sacral, foot detox & more. See ad, page 20.
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HOMEOPATHY
FULL CIRCLE MIDWIFERY SERVICE, INC.
BOB HUTTINGA
352 S. Lincoln Ave, Lakeview 989-352-6500 www.TheHealingCenterOfLakeview.com A Physician assistant since 1976, specializing in naturopathic and homeopathic care. Also, certified Silva Method instructor. See ad, page 20.
KINESIOLOGY WHOLISTIC KINESIOLOGY HEALTH SERVICES, LLC
Patrice Bobier CM, CPM Hesperia - 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, LLC
Barbara Zvirzdinis, WK, CMT 616-581-3885 www.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 29.
MASSAGE THERAPY DYNAMIC CHIROPRACTIC & MASSAGE THERAPY
Erin Kieffer, MT 4072 Chicago Drive, Grandville, MI 49418 616-531-6050 I offer Swedish massage with Integrated Techniques, chosen specifically to your unique body. Relieve those tired and sore muscles and rejuvenate! Call for ongoing monthly specials and discounts. www. DynamicChiro.com
SCHAFER CHIROPRACTIC AND HEALING SPA
Sheri Beth Schafer, CMT, Reiki Master 1801 Breton SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506 616-301-3000 We have multiple certified massage therapists offering relaxation, prenatal, 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.
MIDWIFERY BIRTH SONG MIDWIFERY SERVICES Yolanda Visser CM, CPM Grand Rapids 616-458-8144 www.BirthSongGR.com
Susan Wente, CNM, Dr. PH 231-652-3247 www.HomeBirthworks.com This 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 GEERTS
Health Coach 616-502-2707 www.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 32.
PERSONAL TRAINER SHAPE YOUR LIFE STUDIOS
1290 36th Street Wyoming, MI. 49509 616-318-3503 www.shapeyourlifestudios.com Personal training for Women only $10 an hour in a small group setting. Spinning (Indoor Cycling) for Everyone only $10 a class. No contracts or membership fees.
QUANTUM BIOFEEDBACK TRICIA E. GOSLING
Holistic Care Approach 3368 Beltline Ct NE 616-481-9074 This highly complex device is a non-invasive technology that energetically scans & harmonizes the body’s stresses and imbalances, reducing those imbalances that make us uncomfortable. Visit www. holisticenergytherapies.net
Homebirth services since 1982. Committed to facilitating natural birth, bonding, strengthening the family, informed active participation, and lending dignity to women through their birthing experience.
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NaturalWestMichigan.com
REIKI HAELEN HOLISTIC TREATMENTS
Connie Jean Cunningham www.haelenholistic.com 616-446-6906 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 KATIE Katie Ray 269-804-9307 www.healwithkatie.com
Katie Ray is a Certified Massage Therapist and Reiki Master. Offering deep tissue and medical massage, Usui Reiki treatments, and healing attunements.
PAULA BOJSEN
Reiki Master Teacher and Gendai Reiki Shihan 616-283-6339 www.reikihaus.com Reiki Haus is your source for quality, in-depth Reiki classes at all levels. Both Western Traditional and Gendai (Japanese) Reiki are taught. Treatments are also available, specializing in PTSD, RAD, and fibromyalgia.
RETREAT CENTER THE LEAVEN CENTER
Lyons, Michigan 989-855-2606 www.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/EDUCATION NATUROPATHIC INSTITUTE OF THERAPIES & EDUCATION
503 E. Broadway St Mt. Pleasant, MI. 48858 989-773-1714 www.nite-mtp.com Educational Programs: Natural Health 1-4 Years (one weekend per month), Holistic Labor Companion –Doula 6 months (1 weekend per month), Massage Therapy 1 Year (2 weekends per month), Individual Classes available. 15 years of excellence. See ad page 47.
SPINNING SHAPE YOUR LIFE STUDIOS
1290 36th Street Wyoming, MI. 49509 616-318-3503 www.shapeyourlifestudios.com Personal training for Women only $10 an hour in a small group setting. Spinning (Indoor Cycling) for Everyone only $10 a class. No contracts or membership fees.
Naturopathy (Each year 600 hours)
Natural Health Educator ....................... 1st Year Natural Health Therapist...................... 2nd Year Natural Health Practitioner ................. 3rd Year Certified Naturopath .............................4th Year 4th Year Graduates are Eligible for Doctor of Naturopathy National Test and Title
Massage Therapy
Therapeutic Bodywork Practitioner ..1 Year
Holistic Labor Program Doula.......6 Months
All Classes Meet On Weekends Fri. 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 • Reflexology • Homeopathy • And More!
15 Years of Excellence
503 E. Broadway • Mt. Pleasant, Michigan • (989) 773-1714 www.nite-mtp.com Mt. Pleasant is 90 minutes North East of Grand Rapids natural awakenings Accredited by the American Naturopathic Medical Association
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handmade in the grand trunk show
Join eleven local artisans as they offer boutique-quality, handmade products perfect for mothers, soon-to-be mothers and children!
Saturday, April 30 2011 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Bootyful Baby Boutique, LLC 7275 Bittersweet Court, Allendale, MI 49401 For more information call 616-892-1525 or visit www.bootyfulbabyboutique.com.
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NaturalWestMichigan.com
Free Admission
for s g n i w a r D th r o w 0 5 2 over $ ts! c u d o r p f o Bootyful Baby Boutique Chickadee & Me Cindy’s Suds Cuppycakes Confections Hip Violet K Bella Bambino Lil’ Creations Bowtique Mom N Mia Quilts Naturally Adorable Organic Mamas Shop Shoes by Meg Yellow Horse Art Studio