news briefs

The first full month after a protected two-way bike lane opened on the brooklyn bridge last fall, the number of cycling trips over the east River crossing was nearly double the number from a comparable period the previous year. a report released by the New York City Department of Transportation shows that 4,206 cyclists made a trip across the bridge in October 2021, up from 2,239 in October 2020. also significant is the fact that the number of cycling trips across the nearby williamsburg and Manhattan bridges didn’t change, indicating that the increased trips across the brooklyn bridge reflects an uptick in bicycle ridership overall. according to DOT Commissioner Hank gutman, “we have reclaimed space from cars to make cycling over the brooklyn bridge safer and easier, while making the pedestrian experience better than ever—and it has been a great success.” For more information about cycling in New York City, visit www1.nyc.gov.

Ornithology Jazz Club opened in brooklyn’s eclectic bushwick neighborhood last month, serving up an appropriately eclectic mix: live music, vegan food, cocktails and no cover. The centerpiece of the bohemian performance space is a bechstein grand piano. guests can enjoy live jazz every night, as well as a daily happy hour from 6 to 8 p.m. The menu features a variety of classic and signature cocktails, including toddies, and four “vegan bites”: tomato or mushroom tortizza, Chinatown fried rice and chana masala (Indian-style chickpea curry). Location: 6 Suydam St., brooklyn, NY. For more information, call 917-2314766, email mamajamavista@gmail. com or visit OrnithologyJazzClub.com.

True, organic foods were around long before artificial and prepackaged ones. Yet when LifeThyme all-Natural Market opened in greenwich village 20 years ago, most people thought of “organic” as being a bit odd. Funny how times change. LifeThyme was offering organic foods before there was widespread demand from the public and health officials to eliminate additives, pesticides and other unhealthy substances from consumables. Over the years, the store has steadily expanded to include a full complement of natural health and body items; household products; fresh produce; and perishable, nonperishable and frozen foods. “we look at it this way: we care about our customers, and we want them to be around for a long time,” the owners of LifeThyme Market explain on its website. “Sometimes we wonder why so many other companies don’t seem to share our belief and commitment to only make or sell products that start from a better place and are made from only natural ingredients. You’ll notice we stamp everything we package with a Made On date. This tells you when we made and packaged this creation. That’s what we know; that’s what you can trust.” Location: 410 6th ave., New York, NY. For more information, visit LifeThymeMarket.com.

Carol Leitner, who for many years has led two large holistic networking groups on Long Island, is rolling out a new program to help members of the natural wellness industry—from holistic doctors and practitioners to vendors of healthy products and services—take their practice or business to the next level. “This is a very comprehensive approach, dealing with each participant individually,” Leitner says. “It will include education on effective marketing, sales, networking and social media. and it will also include holistic health presentations and coaching by me and my panel of experts. The healthier a person becomes, the healthier their businesses and practices are.” The program’s holistic experts will present on a variety of topics, such as properly valuating and charging for services; connecting to the higher self; clearing emotional blocks; accessing intuition to make good business and personal decisions; and mastering the Law of attraction. Leitner is currently sales director for Natural awakenings in New York City and Long Island, and a kripalu yoga instructor. She runs her holistic networking groups under the wellness and entrepreneurs exchange and Holistic Living on Long Island Meetups. Starting in February, a one-month package will include four brainstorming and networking meetings, where Leitner and her team of experts will provide marketing, sales and holistic health coaching and spiritual counseling; an article written by the participant to be published in the print and digital editions of Natural awakenings, as well as its website; an article about the participant’s business or practice to be published in Leitner’s Meetup groups, which reach a combined 4,600 people; and weekly sessions with Leitner in gentle Stretch and Strengthening with breathwork, Chair Yoga and Thai Massage, or Holistic/Spiritual Coaching.

For more information or to register, email carolleitner1@ gmail.com or call 516-242-8270. The first five registrants will receive a special introductory rate.

Many people use the New Year as an opportunity to detoxify with therapies like infrared sauna, lymphatic drainage and colon cleansing. To get the best results, proper preparation is important, according to Cleansing Concepts, which offers these and other detox therapies at its locations in garden City and Smithtown, New York, and Red bank, New Jersey. For example, hydration helps offset electrolytes lost through sweat during an infrared sauna, so it’s critical to drink plenty of water ahead of time. Many people also choose to bring water with them to drink during a session. and because skin needs to be able to breathe, it’s advisable to shower prior to the session, and don’t apply lotion, makeup or deodorant. Lymphatic drainage is another therapy designed to flush out toxins, so the same basic preparation protocols apply: good hydration and no lotion, makeup or deodorant. For a colon cleansing session, start preparing 24 to 48 hours ahead of time by eating as few solid foods as possible. Cleansing Concepts recommends doing a juice or smoothie cleanse, or at the very least eating a light diet of fruits, vegetables, soups and salads. They offer their own natural products that can be taken before a cleanse to help with prep. Cleansing Concepts also offers FIT bodywrap and ionic footbath sessions for detoxification.

Locations: 825 east gate blvd., garden City, NJ (516-640-5322); 2 bridge ave., Red bank, NJ (732-7412444); and 269 e. Main St., Ste. F1, Smithtown, NY (631-656-6313). For more information, visit CleansingConceptsworld.com. See ad, page 35.

Jenny Lu, who teaches a variety of mindbody techniques, including yoga, meditation, qigong and tai chi, is offering both an eightweek program and a 90-minute workshop designed to help people manage and release stress. She developed her eight-week Roadmap to best Self program for overwhelmed professionals who want to “show up as the best version of themselves for their families, careers and communities.” Her 90-minute workshop, breathing and Meditation to Reduce Stress, teaches techniques anyone can use to calm and center themselves. “Increasing demands from work, life and family are taking a toll on our physical, mental and emotional health,” she says. “Participants will learn tools and techniques to feel more energized and grounded so that they can be more present in life areas that mean the most to them.” when Lu had her son more than 16 years ago, she says, “I went from a full-

time workaholic to a frazzled full-time mom. body & brain Yoga helped me to be happier, stronger and more centered. I was inspired to learn more healing practices to heal myself and help others too. My calling is to share all the healing modalities I have learned so more people can become better versions of themselves to brighten our family, community and world.” In addition to teaching yoga and other Jenny Lu mind-body techniques in private sessions, she offers group coaching, corporate wellness programs and energy healing. all can be done in person or online.

For more information, email jennylu311@ gmail.com or visit JennyLuYoga.com.

Does your child grind or clench their teeth? Do they suffer from breathing or airway issues, or enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids? Do they keep you awake because they have sleep apnea or acid reflux/GERD issues? Acidic juices in a bottle can cause your baby’s teeth to decay, but even breastmilk can be acidic if the mother has low pH.

Traditional dentists avoid treating these conditions, but when the body’s physiological response is to grind away teeth needed for chewing, nutrition and speech, ask yourself what’s more important than that. Think in terms of natural and holistic solutions. The answer is healthy breathing habits, alkaline hydration and an analysis of the sleep environment. Lack of each of these will harm facial development and interpersonal connection (speech). Unless there’s acute pathology or trauma, most pediatric dental diseases are preventable, but you must be treated by a holistically trained specialist who will seek to review your family’s diet and lifestyle. If you’re a parent, you can use litmus paper to pH-test your child’s saliva for five days upon their waking. Visually examine your child’s tonsils to see if they are swollen or have funky smell, which may be a bacterial infection. Pay attention to your child’s sleep habits, including snoring, and look for chapped lips and dark circles under their eyes. Is your child overactive during the day (wired but tired)? That’s usually misdiagnosed as ADHD, but more often it’s caused by poor sleep, airway issues or poor diet. We advocate that parents build a team of holistic practitioners: pediatricians, ENT, myofunctional therapists, nutritionists and of course the right pediatric dentist, to support their child’s natural awakening.

the hoListic dentaL Practice PhiLosoPhY • Never using mercury or BPA fillings. • Provide alternatives to root canal. • Practice non-extraction functional orthodontics. • Use preventative nutritional therapies. • Promote remineralization of incipient decay. what is a hoListic Pediatric dentist?

Choosing between traditional (overly aggressive) and biological dentistry is one of the most important decisions a parent makes. Your child’s baby teeth, and their eventual permanent teeth, need to be examined on a regular basis. If you are the type of person that hates going to the dentist, holistic dentistry might be the right choice for you.

Dr. Parnian Yazdi is a board-certified pediatric dentist. Her dental care relates to the entire child. As a pediatric specialist, she loves building a lifelong relationship with families. She’s a “tooth whisperer,” with strong but gentle behavior-management skills. She uses prevention strategies and dietary counseling to get to the root cause of problems. Dr. Yazdi offers free salivary pH testing and alkaline oral-cleanse solutions.

It’s critical for your child to develop a positive relationship with their dentist in the early stages of life and to establish the right dental home. Dr. Yazdi recognizes that a dental visit can be an “exciting” experience for your child and that every patient is unique. Therefore she utilizes customized behavior-management techniques and even provides desensitization visits, if needed, to make each child feel their best about their dental home. Dr. Yazdi is committed to providing compassionate children's dentistry in a Covid-safe environment. She is careful to make the dental experience pleasant and fear-free for even the youngest children. Dr. Parnian Yazdi

Schedule an appointment today at Holistic-Dentists.com.