Natural Awakenings - May 2020

E R F

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HEALTHY

PIES

WITH Purpose FLOWER WOW-ER Beautiful Floral Designing

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

Eastern & Western

Veterinary Care Meet at Chi Institute

Healing Dance

Movement Helps the Whole Body

POWER UP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

Autoimmune Breakthroughs Offer New Hope May 2020

Alachua/Citrus/Marion/Sumter Co | | GoNaturalAwakenings.com & The Villages FL | NaturalAwakenings.com May 2020 | Location-Edition

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North Central FL Edition

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May 2020

3

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

letter from publisher

Hi Everyone!

A

NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA

s we enter into another month of COVID-19 and all that entails, I want to encourage you, as I do myself, to focus PUBLISHER Sheila Mahan on those things that are under your control. Worrying about

STAFF WRITER Nancy DeVault EDITOR Martin Miron things we cannot control is stressing—it takes a toll on our DESIGN & PRODUCTION Martin Friedman entire being and those around us. The coronavirus is one of

Chelsea Rose SALES & MARKETING Angela Durrell life’s gut punches that we are forced to take, but we have to pull ourselves back up, accept the situation and keeping moving CONTACT US ahead. Don’t stop being and don’t stop doing.

Ph: 352-366-0088 GoNaturalAwakenings.com

If you are looking for things to do while complying with the stay-at-home orders, we Sheila@GoNaturalAwakenings.com have compiled a list of activities for you and the kids. The article can be found at Tinyurl.

Angela@GoNaturalAwakenings.com com/HealthyHomeActivities. Included are articles on exercise, meditation, starting a SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available for $32 garden, practicing yoga, catching up on sleep, tidying up the house, creating art, cooking (for 12 issues) email the address above.

Digital subscriptions are free visit our website to sign up.

NATIONAL TEAM CEO/FOUNDER Sharon Bruckman COO/ FRANCHISE SALES Joe Dunne NATIONAL EDITOR Jan Hollingsworth

MANAGING EDITOR Linda Sechrist

NATIONAL ART DIRECTOR Stephen Blancett

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FRANCHISE SUPPORT MGR. Heather Gibbs WEBSITE COORDINATOR Rachael Oppy NATIONAL ADVERTISING Lisa Doyle Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation 4933 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 203 Naples, FL 34103 Ph: 239-434-9392 • Fax: 239-434-9513 NaturalAwakeningsMag.com © 2020 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.

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

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Natural Awakenings Magazine is ranked 5th Nationally in CISION’S® 2016 Top 10 Health & Fitness Magazines

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We are delighted to be a part of an environmentally conscious community and therefore manufacture this magazine utilizing the environmentally-friendly cold-set web printer process which emits virtually immeasurable VOC's into the environment. The product is 100% recycleable.

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North Central FL Edition

healthy meals and much more. As for myself, I try to go outside as much as possible and take walks around my yard; I now know where every sprinkler head is. I finally spotted the grasshopper that has been eating holes into my plant’s leaves, I have seen rabbits scurrying around, baby ducks being led by mama duck into the water for the first time and I have had many conversations over the fence with my sweet neighbors who have given me many tomatoes from their garden. What have you discovered in your backyard? What are you doing to break up the monotony and motivate your creativity?

If you are a small business owner, this is an opportunity to clean up your website, learn social media to promote your business, setup online services, create how-to or promotional videos, etc., all of which will continue to be beneficial long after this crisis is over. There are many free courses being offered by online education sites such as Coursera, Udemy, FutureLearn, Khan Academy and others. Don’t give up, maintain your purpose and don’t stop doing.

Throughout the pandemic, I have been inspired by the generosity and kindness of our community members who are doing so much to help others.

From the healthcare workers, police, fire fighters and local government who work tirelessly to keep us safe to community members who open their hearts and doors to help others. In this issue, we highlight Harbison Cattle and Produce, which has graciously offered free booth space to displaced sellers and vendors to sell their baked goods and produce; Eliane Baggenstos provides life-changing health coaching and plant-based nutrition services remotely; and you will see and experience a beautiful art exhibit by UF professor Mary Rockwood Lane and her Healing With The Arts course that will inspire your inner artist.

Please stay safe, enjoy the May issue and don’t forget to send your mom or that special person who cares for you a virtual hug on Mother’s Day.

Sheila

GoNaturalAwakenings.com

Natural Awakenings is a family of more than 70 healthy living magazines celebrating 25 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

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Contents 15 HARBISON EXTENDS A HELPING HAND TO THE COMMUNITY

18

16 PIES WITH PURPOSE 18 FLOWER WOW-ER Beautiful Floral Designing

20 THE ARTIST IS

THE VOICE OF THE HEALER WITHIN

20

22 HEALING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Autoimmune Breakthroughs Offer New Hope

27 THE LAST STRAW FOR PLASTIC

28 SOUL NOURISHMENT The Kitchen As Sacred Space

32 EASTERN AND WESTERN VETERINARY CARE

ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 352-366-0088 or email Sheila@GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

Deadline for ads: the 10th of the month.

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Email articles, news items and ideas to: Sheila@GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

Deadline for editorial: the 10th of the month.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS Email Calendar Events to: Sheila@GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

Deadline for calendar: the 10th of the month.

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Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 239-434-9392. For franchising opportunities call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakenings.com.

34

Meet at Chi Institute

34 EYE CARE FOR KIDS A Clear Path to Healthy Vision

DEPARTMENTS 6 news briefs 8 health briefs 10 global briefs 12 eco tip 13 business

spotlight 14 therapy

spotlight 15 community

spotlight 18 green living

25 fit body 28 conscious

eating 32 natural pet 34 healthy kids 35 calendar 37 resource guide 38 classifieds May 2020

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THANK YOU

news brief

Family Fishing Tournament Carries On

T

he 25th annual Citrus County Building Alliance (CCBA) Family Fishing Tournament, presented by Apopka Marine, has been rescheduled for June 20 and 21. The new venue for one of the biggest amateur tournaments on the west coast of Florida is MacRae’s of Homosassa.

The early bird entry and major sponsorship deadlines have been extended to May 15. Thanks in part to Purple Heart Sponsor Nature Coast Financial Services, this tournament has raised more than $28,000 for the Aaron A. Weaver Chapter 776 Military Order of the Purple Heart to date. The CCBA tournament offers $15,000 in cash and prizes based on 150 paid boat entries, with a cap of 200 boats

Events include the Captain’s Meeting on June 19, return of the CCBA Youth Tournament (formerly Aaron Monier Memorial Youth Tournament) on June 20 , live Entertainment on Saturday night featuring the Strutt Dance Band, and a firearm raffle to be drawn after the final City Electric Supply weigh-in on June 21.

For more information, sponsorship opportunities and angler registration, call 352-746-9028 or visit CitrusBuildingAlliance.com.

Learn All About Seeds Online

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To the healthcare professionals who are risking their lives during this epidemic, thank you for fighting COVID-19 on the front lines.

row Hub will present their fourth annual Southern Seed School, hosted by Working Food, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 2, online at MemberPlanet.com/events/forage/southernseedschool2020 (registration required). Gardeners, farmers, permaculturalists and seed librarians all share in interest in preserving regional biodiversity and heirlooms, and are curious about vegetable breeding, varietal improvement, as well as how to steward locally adapted varieties.

During the self-paced learning activities, they will provide materials about inspiration and encouragement to save seeds; basic plant biology to understand how to best save high-quality seeds from a variety of different crops; when and how to harvest, thresh, winnow and store seeds; amateur plant breeding; germination techniques; growing native wildflowers from seed to seed; and non-seed propagation techniques.

Although seeds are the most fundamental part of a local food system, we rarely ask ourselves and our food producers the seeds come from. Working Food believes that local and resilient food communities need local seed and local seed stewards.

Admission is free, donations are accepted. Grow Hub is located at 2900 NE 8th Ave., in Gainesville; Working Food at 219 NW 10th Ave. For more information, email Info@WorkingFood.org.

News to share?

Submit information to Sheila@GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

Submittal deadline is the 10th of the month.

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North Central FL Edition

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Restoring Our Living Memorials

P

rairie Creek Conservation Cemetery (PCCC) will host a Community Planting Day Meadows/Prairie from 10 a.m. to noon, May 19. Once a year, they have a planting day for each ecosystem where family and friends can join staff and volunteers to restore the cemetery by planting a living memorial at their loved one’s grave.

Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery’s Living Memorial Program is a way to give grieving people and the land what they need. When people donate to plant a living memoria, they, the plant and their loved one help contribute to the cemetery as a living memorial to all that are buried there.

PCCC was founded in 2007 by a group of citizens that conducted research and planned their vision of combining land conservation with natural burial practices. The group worked with land conservation partner Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) to set aside a portion of the Prairie Creek Preserve site for conservation burial, with PCCC licensing in 2010.

Farmers’ Markets Alachua County

Alachua County Farmer’s Market – Saturdays 8:30-noon.

Bring shopping bags, grocery list and small bills. Alachua County Farmer’s Market, 5920 NW 13th St, Gainesville. 352-3718236. 441market.com.

Frog Song Organics – Place an online order for pick-up or home delivery. Call with any questions. Frog Song Organics, 4317 NE US Hwy 301, Hawthorne, 352-468-3816. FrogSong Office@gmail.com. FrogSongOrganics.com.

Admission is feee. Location: 7204 SE CR 234, Gainesville. For more information, call 352-317-7307, email Info@Prairie CreekConservationCemetery.org or visit PrairieCreek ConservationCemetery.org.

Haile Farmers’ Market – Saturdays 8:30-noon. 5213 SW 91 Terrace, Gainesville. 352-639-0446. HaileFarmersMarket.com.

Lubee Bat Conservancy Open House

Citrus County

I

n observance of Endangered Species Day, nonprofit Lubee Bat Conservancy will be hosting their fifth annual spring open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., May 16. Participants can visit their beautiful bats, join educational talks, visit native bat houses, and speak with experts on installation and exclusion as part of an enrichment-filled day with foods and toys.

Many of the bats are pregnant and are due anytime. So there will be new mommies and their pups.

Lubee Bat Conservancy is dedicated to saving bats and their habitats through research, conversation and education, with a focus on children and community engagement. Bats are often killed due to long-held supersititions and misplaced fears. In several countries bats are listed as nuisance animals and killed indiscriminately.

Farmers are also granted certain rights to kill colonies they perceive as a threat to their crops. In fact, rodents, birds and primates cause much more damage, as bats typically seek overripe fruit which is past the point of harvest.

High Springs Farmers’ Market – Fridays 12-4pm. Located at City Hall. Parking at the museum. City of High Springs, 23718 W. US Hwy 27, High Springs. 352-275-6346. HighSprings.us/ FarmersMarket.

Hernando Fresh Market – Mon-Sat 9am-5:30pm, Sat & Sun 10:30am-3:30pm. Hernando Farmer’s Market, 1996 N. Florida Avenue, Hernando. 352-419-4833. HernandoFreshMarket.com.

Snow’s Country Market – Mon-Sun 8am-7pm. Produce and more. Snow’s Country Market, 6976 N. Lecanto Hwy, Beverly Hills. 352-489-4933. Facebook.com/SnowsCountryMarket.

Marion County

Crone’s Cradle Conserve – Call in your order, pay via credit/ debit card and you will be given a pick up time. For Saturday or Sunday pickups, orders must be placed no later than 2:00 on Friday. No orders can be taken on weekends due to the office being closed. Crone’s Cradle Conserve, 6411 NE 217th Pl, Citra.

352-595-3377. CronesCradleConserve.org.

Harbison Farm Cattle and Produce – Sells cattle, produce, homemade jams and jellies, baked goods and more. Provides free vendor space for displaced sellers and vendors. Harbison Farm Cattle & Produce, 4696 NE County Rd, 329, Anthony. 352-239-3552.

GVTharbison@EmbarqMail.com. Tinyurl.com/HarbisonFarm.

Admission is $5, children under 4 free. Only service dogs are welcome.

Location: 1309 NW 192nd Ave., Gainesville. For more information, call 352-485-1250, email Info@Lubee.org or visit Lubee.org.

May 2020

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In a study of 76 people with mildly high total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, research published in the Journal of Herbal Medicine found that consuming 30 milliliters of vinegar made from date pulp and pits daily for four weeks significantly improved total cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride and HDL levels, as well as several biomarkers of inflammation.

Take Quercetin to Reduce Blood Pressure Supplementation with quercetin, a plant pigment found in capers, cilantro, fennel, onions, red leaf lettuce, watercress, elderberries, asparagus, kale, cocoa, apples and chia seeds, can significantly reduce both diastolic and systolic blood pressure, lowering each by about three milliliters/ Hg, reports a new review of research published in the Oxford Academic Journal, of 17 clinical studies that tested 896 participants. Quercetin also improved HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels when consumed for eight weeks or more.

8

North Central FL Edition

GoNaturalAwakenings.com

Fewer than seven hours of sleep for a child is not only linked to anxiety, depression, impulsiveness and cognitive difficulties, but also impacts a child’s brain structure, suggests new research from the UK’s Warwick University published in Molecular Psychiatry. Researchers used data that included MRI scans of more than 11,000 children ages 9 to 11 from 21 centers in the U.S. Parents also provided information about their child’s sleep duration and mental health conditions, and children performed a battery of cognitive tests. Researchers found that compared to children that slept between the recommended nine and 11 hours, those receiving less than seven hours had 53 percent more behavioral problems and scored 7.8 percent lower on cognitive tests. In children that slept less, volumes were smaller in five brain regions. Children that slept longer showed less depression and higher cognitive scores, and felt safer and more secure in their homes and neighborhoods.

SK Design/Shutterstock.com

A new Harvard study of 746 young sperm donors reports that men that exercise more have better sperm quality.

The men, with an average age of 26, at least a high school education and no radiation exposure or sexually transmitted diseases, were qualified to donate to a sperm bank in their area. Compared to men that seldom exercised, those that reported the most total exercise and logged the most time doing intense workouts had better sperm motility, which increases the chances for sperm to move through the female reproductive tract to reach an egg.

Tuck Kids In Early to Reduce Depression and Cognitive Issues

Ljupco Smokovski/Shutterstock.com

Exercise to Boost Sperm Quality

Dean Drobot/Shutterstock.com

Consume Date Vinegar to Boost Heart Health and Reduce Inflammation

health briefs

Kamira/Shutterstock.com

arilyn barbone/Shutterstock.com

Watch Out: Rapid Weather Changes Boost Flu Risk

Eat Less Sulfur Amino Acids to Reduce Heart Disease Risk A plant-based diet low in such sulfur amino acid foods as meat, dairy, nuts and soy may be key to lowering the risk of heart disease, concludes a study from the Penn State University College of Medicine. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins; a subcategory called sulfur amino acids plays integral roles in metabolism. Researchers correlated diets and blood biomarkers of more than 11,000 participants from a national study and found people that ate foods containing fewer sulfur amino acids tended to have a decreased risk for cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. They also found that the average American consumes almost two-and-a-half times more sulfur amino acids than the estimated average requirement. “People who eat lots of plant-based products like fruits and vegetables will consume lower amounts of sulfur amino acids,” says lead author Zhen Dong, a doctor of public health.

Confirming this, a Northwestern Medicine and Cornell University study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that every two servings of red meat, processed meat or poultry per week increased cardiovascular disease risk by 3 to 7 percent. For every two servings of red meat or processed meat per week, the risk of death from any cause was increased by 3 percent. The findings, based on an analysis of six studies involving 29,682 people, contradict a controversial study published last year that recommended people not reduce the amount of red meat and processed meat they eat. “Everyone interpreted that it was okay to eat red meat, but I don’t think that is what the science supports,” says senior study author Norrina Allen, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern.

Rapid weather swings as a result of climate change raise the risk of flu virus infections and epidemics, reports a study from Florida State University and international researchers. Tracing weather patterns and infection rates during a 20-year period in the U.S., China, Italy and France, scientists found that extreme fluctuations in weather during the autumn months of 2017 essentially kick-started that winter’s severe flu epidemic, implying, “The lapsed human immune system in winter caused by rapidly changing weather makes a person more susceptible to flu virus,” says lead author Zhaohua Wu, a professor of meteorology. The study warned that as weather variability increases, Europe could see a 50 percent increase in deaths tied to flu by the end of the century, but added that factoring in weather variability could help public health planning.

High Springs Emporium

North Central Florida's ONLY Rock Shop The most unusual store in town Rocks,

Crystals, Gifts, Jewelry

Let There Be Light The Emporium is closed for walk in business until it is safe to reopen. We are available for online orders send us an email at

HighSpringsEmporium@yahoo.com or call us between 9am-1pm and we will get back to you.

"Lemurian" quartz cluster, Serra Do Cabrolmine, Brazil

Online classes and sessions available soon - check our website at

HighSpringsEmporium.net or our Facebook page for the latest information.

Galactic Skull Awakening with Sharron Britton and Nicholas Pearson

Virtual Galactic Skull Activation with Sharron Britton and Nicholas Pearson on Saturday, May 7 at 6:30pm. Email us for the link and join us on Zoom.

19765 NW US Hwy, 441 High Springs, FL 32643

HighSpringsEmporium.net • 386-454-8657 May 2020

9

Buzz Off

global briefs

If Australia can grow enough of the puffy, pink Asparagopsis taxiformis seaweed for every cow in Australia, the country could cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent.

That’s the conclusion the University of the Sunshine Coast (Australia) seaweed research group leader Associate Professor Nick Paul. The cows burp out methane, but, “When added to cow feed at less than two percent of the dry matter, this particular seaweed completely knocks out methane production. It contains chemicals that reduce the microbes in the cows’ stomachs that cause them to burp when they eat grass,” he says. Cows are known to eat seaweed. “This seaweed has caused a lot of global interest, and people around the world are working to make sure the cows are healthy, the beef and the milk are good quality,” Paul notes.

“But the one missing step, the big thing that is going to make sure this works at a global scale, is to make sure we can produce the seaweed sustainably.”

Life Perseveres

New Bird Species Found on Remote Island

Although thousands of species have been identified and finding new taxa like birds, is rare, a study published in the journal Science describes five new songbird species and five new subspecies found on a single small island near Sulawesi, Indonesia, during a six-week expedition. Scientists targeted the area because of its geological history and complexity, and the historical notes of other explorers.

Two factors that contributed to the description of the large number of species in a small geographic area included knowledge of geographical land connections that helped pinpoint isolated islands likely to harbor substantial endemism and accounts of historic collectors such as British naturalist Alfred Wallace. The findings suggest that human understanding of biogeographically complex regions remains incomplete.

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North Central FL Edition

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kurt/Shutterstock.com

Seaweed Lowers Cows’ Methane Emissions

New research from the University of Sheffield in the UK published in Scientific Reports suggests that individual members of a bee swarm behave like neurons in a human brain.

The scientists applied a theoretical model commonly used to study human psychology to the behavior of bee colonies, and they believe that studying “bee speak” could inform us about how our own minds make decisions. In the field of psychophysics, Weber’s law describes a relationship between the size of a stimulus and noticeable increases in its magnitude.

This general rule about stimulus and perception has been observed in birds, fish and even the collective behavior of simpler organisms, but not in whole clusters of tiny brains such as an insect hive. To investigate its role in the decision-making processes of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera), the researchers watched hives split apart and hunt for new homes. Among bees, the process of choosing a hive comes down to the interactions of scout bees communicating their discoveries through a visual display of body wiggles. “The study also supports the view of bee colonies as being similar to complete organisms,” says computer scientist and lead author Andreagiovanni Reina.

Charging Ahead

New Batteries From Fruit Waste

Carbon aerogels that exhibit high specific surface areas, high proportions of mesopores and significant levels of nitrogen doping have been developed for the first time using waste from durian fruit and jackfruit scraps using a chemical-free, green synthesis procedure. According to the Journal of Energy Storage, the electrodes also displayed long-term cycling stability and rapid charge–discharge processes. Both electrodes are attractive candidates for the next generation, high-performance, yet low-cost supercapacitors for energy storage devices derived from biowastes.

Holy Polygon/Shutterstock.com

Passing Gas

Daniel Prudek/Shutterstock.com

Bee Swarms Form Giant Brains

Diana Taliun/Shutterstock.com amilpetran/Shutterstock.com

Jolly Good

King of Bhutan Requests Selfless Gift

The King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, turned 40 years old on February 21.

Rather than ask for gifts, he asked his people to either plant a tree, adopt a stray animal or clean up their neighborhood in his honor.

The Himalayan nation is consistently ranked one of the most eco-friendly countries in the world. In May 2016, Wangchuck and his wife celebrated the birth of their firstborn son by asking each of the nation’s households to plant a sapling, resulting in more than 108,000 trees planted.

Wild Things

Maria Sbytova/Shutterstock.com

Wildness a Big Factor in Urban Parks

A new study led by the University of Washington (UW) has found that not all forms of nature are created equal when considering benefits to people’s well-being.

Experiencing wildness is particularly important for physical and mental health, according to the study published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Cities.

This is the first study to show that wildness in urban areas is profoundly important for human well-being. “The wilder areas in an urban park seem to be affording more benefits to people, and their most meaningful interactions depended on those relatively wild features,” says lead author Elizabeth Lev, a graduate student in the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.

Senior author Peter Kahn, a UW professor of environmental and forest sciences and psychology, says, “Everywhere, development is chipping away at wild areas. Humanity has caused so much destruction and there’s no stopping it—unless we stop. We’re trying to show that if you’re going to develop an area, you at least need to understand the human costs.” The researchers hope studies like this can be used as part of the decisionmaking process for development proposals in parks and urban natural areas. They compiled their analysis methods into a handbook that can be used in other cities around the world.

Financial Fix

Great Britain Coal Use Falls With Carbon Tax

A tax on carbon dioxide emissions in Great Britain has led to the proportion of electricity generated from coal falling from 40 percent to 3 percent over six years, according to research led by University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge. In a report entitled The Value of International Electricity Trading, researchers showed the British Carbon Price Support tax caused electricity generated from coal to fall from 13.1 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2013 to 0.97 TWh in September 2019, and that coal was replaced by other less emission-heavy forms of generation such as gas. The decline in coal generation accelerated substantially after the tax was increased in 2015. The tax is one part of the Total Carbon Price, which also includes the price of EU Emissions Trading System permits. Project leader Dr. Giorgio Castagneto Gissey, of the Bartlett Institute for Sustainable Resources, says, “Should EU countries also adopt a high carbon tax, we would likely see huge carbon emission reductions throughout the continent as we’ve seen in Great Britain over the last few years.”

THINK BEFORE YOU BUY:

1. Is it recycled

or made from sustainable materials?

2. Is it resource saving?

3. Is it vintage or pre-owned?

Asking these questions before you buy can help you make a green choice.

May 2020

11

eco tip JPC-PROD/Shutterstock.com

Virus Fighters

Essential Oils for Challenging Times In these coronavirus days, an essential oil mixture with legendary origins in the Bubonic Plague offers soothing scents for the homebound and might add some viral protection.

The mixture of five oils: eucalyptus, clove, cinnamon, lemon and rosemary, is known as Thieves. As the story goes, in the 1500s, as the Black Death decimated Europe, when four unemployed spice merchants that turned to robbing the bodies and homes of the dead were captured and threatened with being burned alive, they confessed to the judge their secret to avoiding infection—the spice blend that they rubbed on their hands, ears, feet and temples.

They were all hanged, but their formula survives as Thieves, and is today one of the most popular essential oil blends in the market, sold under that name and also as Five Guards, Health Shield and Fighting Five. Although shown to sharply reduce three kinds of airborne bacteria in 10 minutes, its antiviral properties have not been extensively studied. Its components, however, have proven antimicrobial, antiseptic and antiviral properties: n Eucalyptus, long used for respiratory infections, has been proven effective against a number of viruses, particularly the swine flu and herpes type 1 viruses. n Clove has exhibited strong antiviral activity against such viruses as the adenovirus type 3 respiratory virus, poliovirus and coxsackievirus. n Cinnamon leaf shows antiviral activity and can prevent pneumonia due to influenza. n Lemon oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties, and is often used in cleaning products.

Points

Lisa Rockz

✦ Spheres ✦ Cylinders ✦ Wands Clusters ✦ Grids ✦ Runes Tumbled Stones ✦ Rough Specimens Books ✦ Smudges ✦ Classes

California

Sage

Text 352-693-0390 Facebook.com/RockzLisa

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North Central FL Edition

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n Rosemary eases stress and has antiviral, antimicrobial and antidepressant qualities.

Thieves can be purchased in natural health stores or online. For a homemade blend, Jennifer Lane, an aromatherapist, registered nurse and founder of LovingEssential Oils.com, recommends combining these essential oils: 4 35 drops lemon 4 20 drops cinnamon leaf 4 15 drops clove bud 4 15 drops eucalyptus 4 10 drops rosemary

Adding five drops of the blend, along with water in a diffuser, can waft the scent throughout a room and diminish airborne odors and germs. For respiratory support, put a few drops into a cup of steaming, but not boiling, water, drape a towel around the cup and face, and breathe in the fumes. Add it to a carrier oil like jojoba oil or coconut oil at a 1:30 ratio (such as one-half ounce Thieves to 15 ounces jojoba) and rub it on pulse points in the wrist and neck. But do not ingest the blend. If a child under 10 is in the house, don’t diffuse it or use it topically on them, because rosemary and eucalyptus can be unsafe for a child, advises Christina Anthis, author of The Beginner’s Guide to Essential Oils: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started.

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Bodono Offering Services During Crisis

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in medicine surgery, ertified health oncology and hospice coach and as a registered nurse for registered over 10 years, I decided nurse Eliane Bagto go back to school genstos, owner of and become a licensed Bodono, in Ocala, massage therapist,” provides services for explains Baggenstos. corporations, chiro“As the daughter of a practors, healthcare chef, I was taught the centers, athletes and art of cooking and individuals from learned about nutriteenagers to seniors. tion early on. I learned With more than 15 from my mother about years of experience in Eliane Baggenstos organic gardening, healthcare, preventive medicine, nutrition and wellness, Bodono helped her grow our own food and learned about canning, baking homemade bread, is a resource for those in search of welletc. I learned about the health benefits of being. “Due to the current coronavirus a plant-based whole food diet and organic pandemic, our massage therapy services nutrition early on. You could basically say are currently on hold, but we continue to that I was a health-foodie before that term provide health coaching and plant-based even existed.” nutrition services via FaceTime, Zoom

Bodono’s mission is to provide a proand Skype,” says Baggenstos. fessional, therapeutic and relaxing experi She holds certification in plantence while working with specific areas of based nutrition from Cornell University the body to improve functionality, relieve and Evidence-Based Health Coachpain, help to regenerate and improve ing for Healthcare Providers from the National Society of Health Coaches. As a overall well-being and wellness. Bodono licensed massage therapist, Baggenstos is attends to people, not just bodies, targetcertified in advanced sports massage and ing the source of the pain, not just the pain itself, to help recover and heal. medical massage.

“I have always loved working with people and been interested in holistic For more information, call 352-559-9355, medicine from a young age. After working email Info@Bodono.com or visit Bodono.com.

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therapy spotlight

Mr. Jorge Garcia-Bengochea leads a FaceTime visit during coronavirus pandemic

Miniature Therapy Horses Are Just What the Doctor Ordered

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by Nancy DeVault

ospital patients don’t expect to see diminutive stallions strutting the hallways, but that’s become the norm throughout North Central Florida. Gentle Carousel miniature therapy horses visit 25,000 people each year at medical treatment sites, hospice centers, assisted living communities, veteran and first-responder facilities and even personal homes.

Now one of the largest equine therapy programs in the world, Debbie Garcia-Bengochea co-founded Gentle Carousel in Ocala more than two decades ago. At the time, therapeutic riding options were available at area farms, but the former school principal identified an accessibility gap.

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“There were (and are) a lot of people who can’t get out to the horses, so we bring the horses to them,” she explains. While maintaining a strong local presence, Gentle Carousel now has a secondary farm in Tennessee, an affiliate site in Greece and conducts visitations nationwide. “When the elevator door opens and mini-horses walk out, no one is thinking about cancer or disease for a while,” she says.

But creating such memorable distractions takes hard work.

Through an intensive two-year preparation program, the tiny house-trained team learns how to navigate stairs, ride elevators, tolerate sounds (i.e., ambulance sirens and helicopters), maneuver tight spaces, interact with people with differing abilities and many more impressive tasks. The horses collaborate with doctors, therapists and other professionals to support survivors of stroke, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, amputations, burns and other conditions requiring physical and emotional rehabilitation.

The horses have a way of easing tension in times of stress. “The horses don’t just visit people; they become a part of the treatment team,” asserts Garcia-Bengochea. For example, a person learning to walk again may feel less apprehensive when using a miniature horse as a crutch; and a patient healing from burns may not notice their pain as much when focused on combing a beautiful mane.

In other environments, the goal is purely horseplay. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Central Florida serves as a comfortable home away from home for families with children receiving care at medical facilities. Gentle Carousel’s horses have stomped through the house to the delight of residents and staff alike on a weekly basis for the past 15 years.

“For one moment in time, our families can think about something other than their child being in the hospital and feel happiness and hope,” says Sherry Houston, Ronald McDonald’s executive director. “The horses are very intuitive, so they can engage with patients at their level.” Kiddos take the reins to guide horses around the butterfly garden and playful ponies also gallop from room to room receiving hugs fom those on bed rest.

These therapeutic interactions are much different than those of therapy dogs or companion animals. “A miniature horse uniquely brings joy and awe,” Houston says. A full-size horse can be intimidating, but the small statute of miniatures is welcoming for all.

On the other end of the age spectrum, the tiny team is welcome at assisted living facilities and senior centers. Garcia-Bengochea says horse visits are especially blissful for elders that either grew up in or worked in Ocala’s large equine community. Some seniors simply appreciate the “Wow!” factor of the costuming, props and music.

The petite squad currently includes 19 horses. Perhaps the most well-known of the herd, Magic, has proven that a blue ribbon isn’t the only equine distinction. Magic was inducted into the hall of fame of both the Florida Veterinary Medical Association and the United States Equestrian Federation/Equus Foundation.

Producing a truly quixotic moment, Magic was the guest of honor at a tea party honoring a terminally ill 5-year-old girl. “Magic and two of equine friends arrived in their tuxedos, and the little girl’s cousins wore princess dresses,” recalls Garcia-Bengochea. “It was a chance to create a lasting happy memory for her and her family.”

Gentle Carousel also serves those affected by trauma. “The

community spotlight

Haven Hospice, in Gainseville

first time the [surviving] children from Sandy Hook Elementary saw each other after the shooting, Magic was there at the Newtown public library,” Garcia-Bengochea shares. “It was the beginning of their healing.” Gentle Carousel likewise helped after the shootings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, in Charleston, South Carolina, and the Pulse nightclub, in Orlando, the tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma; fires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and child trafficking incidents in Washington, D.C.

Gentle Carousel is also active in the community through literacy and kindness programs held at local libraries, schools and youth centers. During the coronavirus crisis, however, Gentle Carousel has transitioned to FaceTime chats and social media connections. More than half a million Facebook followers can watch Story Time on the Farm with Mr. Jorge, led by Jorge Garcia-Bengochea, co-founder and head trainer, alongside a horse. Gentle Carousel encounters are free of charge, but because of the pandemic, the organization’s annual fundraiser was canceled. Thus, to support the mission, donors can contribute monetary gifts and/or items listed on the charity’s Amazon Wish List.

For more information, visit GentleCarousel TherapyHorses.com.

Harbison Extends a Helping Hand to the Community

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arbison Cattle and Produce is a 7,000-acre family-run farm that has been in the family since the early 1700s. They sell food from seed to customer. Owner Troy Harbison says, “When we grow it, there’s no middleman.”

They also sell their own grass-fed and grain-fed farm-grown cattle; quarter halves and whole beef sides using no hormones or GMOs. They offer Amish cheese, butter, bacon, salami, baloney, summer sausage, homemade jams and jellies, baked goods and have their own chickens/eggs, but also supplement eggs from other farms.

They have been in business as an open farm market for 26 years. When the COVID-19 crisis hit, Harbison immediately offered the farm as an option for displaced sellers and vendors that lost their spots at other events and open markets, giving them free booth space anytime they needed it.

When he noticed that some customers were short on money to buy fresh food, he set up a relief and assistance fund with donations from the public, matching them

with money from Harbison Farms Cattle & Produce. He prefers people to have a recommendation for assistance from an organization. The farm is in need of cash donations to support the food assistance fund.

“We have a lot of new ones [customers] now, of course, with everything that’s going on,” says Harbison. Due to the current situation, the farm offers free curbside pickup.

Customers can check Facebook for available items and pricing, then text Harbison with their grocery list, drive up to the produce shed, text to notify him of their arrival and someone will bring out the items.

Those 65 and older get free delivery with a 6 percent convenience fee; under 65 incurs a charge of $1.25 per mile after 10 miles plus a 6 percent convenience fee.

Harbison watches for food hoarders and does not allow bulk buying.

Harbison Farm Cattle & Produce is located at 4696 NE County Rd. 329, in Anthony.

For more information, call 352-239-3552, email gvtharbison@embarqmail.com or visit Tinyurl.com/HarbisonFarm.

When we grow it, there’s no middleman. ~Troy Harbison May 2020

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PIES WITH PURPOSE

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by Nancy DeVault

ainesville resident Jennifer Dempsey flourished as an exceptional student education teacher, but over time, the ring of the oven timer sounded much sweeter than the school bell. The self-proclaimed “stress baker” was accustomed to whisking away worries using pantry ingredients, but she admits there was a lengthy learning curve to mastering pie baking. In fact, it took her a full year to perfect buttery, flaky, crack-free crusts.

“About four years ago, when everyone else was making new year’s resolutions to lose weight, I made a resolution to bake a pie a week,” Dempsey recalls. She even surpassed that goal and baked 54 sugary sensations within the year. “I fell in love with the versatility of pies and the creativity of making them,” she explains. Somewhere along the way, her 8-year-old daughter Joscelyn inspired her to close her textbooks and open the recipe books.

At 13 months old, Joscelyn had a hemispherectomy, a complicated neurosurgery. “Doctors had to take out the entire

left side of her brain because it was malformed, and she was having catastrophic, life-endangering seizures that didn’t respond to medication,” Dempsey says of her youngest of five children. Once engaged in the disability community, Dempsey noticed an alarming gap. “I didn’t recognize the need for more employment opportunities for adults with disabilities until I started talking to other parents and thinking about Joscelyn’s future and what she would do when she grew up.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, adults with disabilities account for onefifth of the population, yet are unemployed at a rate twice that of peers without disabilities. In January, Dempsey literally rolled out a plan for change using her rolling pin. She launched PiesAbilities, an artisanal business stirring up both baked goods and inclusivity through skills-based training and employment opportunities for persons with differing abilities. “I’m relying on my background as an exceptional education teacher to help me develop the

The vision to combine pies and workplace diversity is sweetly symbolic. Like people, no two pies are alike, so the subtle differences are what grant each and every person or pie unique flavor and flair.

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Courtesy of PieAbilities

training component,” she says. The vision to combine pies and workplace diversity is sweetly symbolic. Like people, no two pies are alike, so the subtle differences are what grant each and every person or pie unique flavor and flair.

Dempsey was able to get cooking without a storefront thanks to the incubator program at Working Food, a nonprofit that works to nurture the food community of North Central Florida through collaboration, economic opportunity, education and seed stewardships. PiesAbilities rents one of their commercial kitchens and Dempsey also receives entrepreneurial guidance. Plus, she engages with Working Food’s likeminded partners such as GROW HUB, a nursery business cultivating disabled adults through sustainability-focused work initiatives.

PiesAbilities has invested in specialty equipment geared for bakers with physical disabilities; for example, an adaptable hand pie maker. “Instead of having to roll out the crust, fold it in half and crimp it, this simple machine turns with one crank and does it all for you,” Dempsey describes.

“Joscelyn loves to do the hand pie maker!”

And her cutie-pie sidekick also enjoys meeting customers at farmers’ markets.

PiesAbilities staffs a booth at Thornebrook Farmers’ Market and occasionally at Tioga Community Farmers’ Market, Union Street Farmers’ Market and other locations.

Dempsey makes sure to shop fellow vendor stands for fresh produce.

“For the past few months, I’ve been getting strawberries. Roger’s Farm is a great local suppler,” Dempsey says. Blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are also go-to ingredients when seasonally available. But Dempsey isn’t afraid to incorporate the unexpected, like Florida-grown grapes and roselle, a nutrient-rich hibiscus flower.

“I actually started experimenting with a sugar-free keto [diet] pie. Instead of apples, I’m using chayote squash. It’s always interesting to take vegetables and turn them into a sweet pie,” she says.

While the menu is dependent upon seasonal crops, PiesAbilities bakes classics like apple streusel, banana cream, bourbon pecan, buttermilk chess, chocolate cream, coconut cream, key lime, lemon meringue,

Courtesy of Samantha Roughton

peanut butter and razzleberry (mixed berry), as well as next-level showstoppers such as chocolate-covered strawberry pie, Elvis pie and more. She also offers bites of yesteryear with vintage flavors such as butterscotch, mince, rhubarb, shoofly, sugar cream and vinegar.

Aside from market sales, business is heating up through catered events and custom orders. Samantha Roughton and Paul Watts hired PiesAbilities to cater dessert for their Pi Day wedding (March 14, or 3/14,

the first three digits of this mathematical constant). Opting for a pie buffet instead of a wedding cake was an obviously choice.

“We were trying to do a decent amount of nontraditional things for our wedding, so it became important to us that we have delicious pies for our big day,” Roughton says. The local lovebirds were delighted with PiesAbilities scrumptious goodies and divine mission. Dempsey baked an assortment of 16 pies to please every palate. “We had apple, blueberry and key lime, but the pie with the most personality was chocolate chess pie with chocolate whipped cream and shaved white chocolate on top,” Roughton attests.

Pies come in different sizes and shapes—whole, mini, slab (baking sheet), hand pie and, exclusive to PieAbilities, pieholes (similar to a donut hole) and puffin (pie-filled muffin).

“The pieholes are a great way to sample the pies we have. They’re popular for catered events and weddings, too, because they’re conveniently two bites, so you don’t need a knife and fork like a regular slice,” Dempsey explains. “Puffins are a

Cross-section of a puffin

gateway to pie. Cupcakes are so approachable and puffins look like and are frosted like cupcakes, but when you bite in, there’s a piehole! It’s fun and unexpected.”

Dempsey is now taste-testing a new chocolate-orange pie recipe. Customers already craving fall flavors can also count on PiesAbilities to bake fresh interpretations of pumpkin pie and other holiday classics.

Place an order at PiesAbilities.com.

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of Ikebana,” says Ha, part of a longstanding Japanese tradition of appreciating plants and flowers throughout the four seasons.

green living

FLOWER WOW-ER Beautiful Floral Designing

by April Thompson

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resh-cut flowers can The good news Ikebana, the Japanese elevate a space with is you can’t mess art of flower arranging, dates back to the seventh century, color, scents and up flowers. when floral offerings were textures that draw the eye made at Buddhist altars, and nose, but professional ~Kathy Jentz according to Jeanne Ha, floral designs can be pricey. owner of the Washington Flower School, DIY arranging, however, is an easy, fun in Takoma Park, Maryland. In the 16th and inexpensive creative outlet that can century, Japanese samurais practiced flower also help cultivate mindfulness. Flower arranging prior to combat to help calm arranging is more than just a decorative them and stay centered, a stress-reducing art; it’s a spiritual activity that helps creactivity most of us can benefit from today. ate a kinship with nature and merge the “Seasonal flowers are an important element indoors and outdoors.

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As with any artistic medium, creative choices are important in floral arranging.

We can opt for a fussy, formal style, a rustic farmhouse look or a modern, asymmetrical design. “The good news is you can’t mess up flowers. Whether multidimensional or one-sided, monochromatic or multicolored, you really can’t go wrong,” says Kathy Jentz, publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine and a flower arranging instructor in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Like a good meal, the ingredients of a bouquet are as important as how they are assembled. Start with organic, pesticide-free buds. “Look for local, seasonal flowers, which will be fresher and last longer than those flown in,” says Betty Ann Galway, a certified floral designer and instructor at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, in Virginia. Farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture CSAs and pick-your-own farms are all great places to find locally, sustainably grown flowers, according to Jentz. To select for long shelf life, look for fresh-looking stamens and foliage, and firm heads on flowers. Mums, carnations and asters will last up to three weeks, says Galway.

When selecting flowers, Ami Wilber, floral and event décor designer at the Washington, D.C., Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, recommends starting with a color scheme, whether limiting the palette to one or two colors, using analogous colors like

Daria_Cherry/Shutterstock.com

Finding a Floral Style

pinks and purples or seusing odd numbers Appreciating the lecting complementary flowers and being thankful of each type of flower colors like blues and and adding in the is an important part of oranges. “It’s also good largest flowers first to the process, too. to find a focal flower create an anchor for or a show-stopper that the composition. For ~Jeanne Ha will immediately draw a rustic, farm-to-table attention to a bouquet,” says Wilber. bouquet, look beyond just blooms to

Prepping the flowers before arincorporate seed pods, grasses and other ranging will also prolong an arrangefoliage from the backyard or woods, says ment’s longevity, including cutting stems Wilber. These will not only fill in gaps diagonally to provide more surface area left by thin-stemmed flowers, but also for water, suggests Jentz. She also recomhelp create contrast in texture, she adds, mends plunging flowers into cool water recommending that 70 percent of the immediately after trimming their stems. container be green.

Leaves pump water up the stem, so leave

Once the design is complete, finea few on while clearing those from the tune the arrangement by stepping back to bottom that would otherwise be subsee the big-picture look and making any merged in water, adds Galway. adjustments, removing discolored leaves

There are many ways to create strucand adding greenery to any bald spots, says ture for an arrangement, most of which is Wilber. Many designers wrap large, flat often hidden. Wilber stuffs chicken wire leaves around the inside of a container for a into an opaque container and then tapes clean, polished look that hides the stems. down the top with a grid of floral tape to

Most importantly, don’t forget to stop provide more control over the direction and smell the lilacs. Let the flowers lead of the stems. Ha uses floral foam, soaked the design and let go of any unattainable to provide hydration, into which stems vision of perfection. “Appreciating the can be inserted at any angle to create a flowers and being thankful is an important gravity-defying design. part of the process, too,” says Ha.

Different styles of arranging draw from different principles, but many comConnect with Washington, D.C. freelance mon rules of thumb apply; for example, writer April Thompson at AprilWrites.com.

Flower Arranging Tips From a Pro Daria_Cherry/Shutterstock.com

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healthy, professional-looking bouquet doesn’t take years of flower designing to achieve; these tricks of the trade will help neophyte designers get started.

To loosen up tightly wound buds, breathe on them.

Hot breath will open buds up faster, says publisher and arranger Kathy Jentz.

An arranging technique Jentz recommends is clustering blossoms between the index finger and thumb of the less-dominant hand, resulting in a tight arrangement that can be held in place by a rubber band pulled up to the tops of the stems.

If working with hydrangeas or other flowers with woody stems, smash open the stems along the length to get more water circulation.

Consider upcycling common containers to make flower vases, Jentz says. “You can create recycled vases out of old jars and bottles, or use chalk paint to colorfully cover over a tin can.”

The secret sauce in flower food is simply sugar and citric acid, says Jentz, so a little lemonade mix added to the water of an arrangement will work fine in a pinch.

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THANK YOU to the local businesses that display Natural Awakenings Magazines!

Pick up your next free copy:

In addition to medical offices and local businesses, Natural Awakenings magazine can be picked up at the following locations: Earth Orgins 1237 NW 76th Blvd, Gainesville Sunflower Health Foods 3424 W. University Ave, Gainesville The Bagel Bakery 4113 NW 16th Blvd, Gainesville Wards 515 NW 23rd Ave, Gainesville Fairy Dust Crystals & Such 11781 SE Hwy 441, Belleview Belleview Library 13145 SE CR 484, Belleview Too Your Health 995 HWY 441, Lady Lake Freedom Library 5870 SW 95th St, Ocala B-Healthy 8449 SW Hwy 200, #139, Ocala Marion County Tax Collector 503 SE 25th Ave, Ocala Marion County Public Library 2720 E. Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala Earth Origins 1917 E. Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala Thoroughbred Hardware & Feed 250 SE County Hwy 484, Ocala Winn Dixie 820 Old Camp Rd., The Villages

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May 2020

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Colors

The Artist is the Voice of the Healer Within

by Martin Miron

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ary Rockwood Lane, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, co-founder and director emeritus of the nationallyrecognized Shands Arts in Medicine program at the University of Florida (UF), headed the program for more than 15 years and is now an associate professor of nursing at UF, Mary Rockwood Lane teaching Creativity and Spirituality in Healthcare. She lectures and teaches workshops around the world, and has been involved in setting up art and healing programs in Florida and around the country. She received a bachelor’s degree from UF, a master’s degree from Boston College, and a Ph.D. from the UF.

Lane is the co-author of professional publications and several books, including Creative Healing, Spirit Body Healing and Path of the Feather. Shaman Wisdom-Shaman Healing was a finalist in the health/healing category in the prestigious Nautilus Awards. She also founded and directed the art and healing masters program at Wisdom University with Michael Samuels, M.D. She participated in founding the Center for Spirituality and Health at UF.

At a time when art was not integrated into health care, she was inspired by her own experience of healing herself with art to launch the Shands Arts in Medicine program, which incorporates art, music, poetry, theater and dance into clinical care on 15 hospital units. Lane developed an end-of-life curriculum that fully integrates spirituality and creativity, to be taught at all UF health 20

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science colleges. Lane and Samuels have taught art and healing courses at undergraduate and graduate level for many years and watched their students undergo major life transformations as they healed themselves from sexual abuse, unresolved grieving and illnesses.

Her newest course is deMarylane livered as a free, online six-week program on Coursera. She says, “This is a new concept in education.

By making art, a caring, loving community is formed and students can share and heal deeply personal and deeply important things that may have never been addressed in their lives. It is such a new experience; online education without judgment, in a loving, caring, sacred space. It is a new kind of university online distance education, using art (visual arts, music, dance and word) to heal yourself, others, community and the Earth.” It uses teachings, guided imagery exercises and art projects to help heal whatever needs to be healed.

“Everyone can use this program: to heal yourself, create your own art community groups, work with an artist-healer in a program or as part of art therapy with a trained art therapist”, advises Lane. “If you already consider yourself an artist or healer, we’ll show you how to go deeper into your creativity or healing with personal introspection on emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels with a mind to show you how the two worlds are naturally linked and how the artist can be the voice and hands of the healer within.”

Lane is a Feminine Power life coach and facilitator . Her desire and passion is to honor the healing power of creativity to create self-activation and personal transformation. Her newest course meets an urgent need to discover of the inner rich and beautiful resources within.

Every summer she leads Artemis Sacred Journeys annual retreat to the Greek islands to honor the divine feminine and return to the ancient temples.

For more information, visit HealingWithTheArts.com and MaryRockwoodLane.com.

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Family

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“Become empowered and be the goddess you are.

Heal the earth, your community, your family and yourself...

Mary Free

Grandma 3

Hurt

Dress Grandma Chair

Pink

Do not let anything stand in your way.

You are her on earth.�

Grandma

Pig

~Mary Rockwood Lane May 2020

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metamorworks/Shutterstock.com

Healing the Immune System Autoimmune Breakthroughs Offer New Hope

by April Thompson

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ome 23 million Americans suffer from one or more autoimmune diseases—a category comprised of more than 80 conditions, including fibromyalgia, Hashimoto’s disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and Type 1 diabetes. These pernicious disorders are notoriously difficult to diagnose, even harder to treat and can be debilitating, diminishing the quality of life for sufferers.

Another commonality is the increased prevalence of autoimmune disease in women versus men; in the case of lupus, for example, a nine-fold difference. Some early indicators are that this may be related to a “gene dosage effect”, as men with XXY chromosomes have the same risk of developing lupus as other women, and women with XXX chromosomes (known in medical parlance as “superwomen”) have an even higher risk of autoimmune disease, according to Judith James, 22

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chair of the Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, in Oklahoma City.

Yet there is hope on the horizon, as scientific discoveries unlock important insights about the manifestation and progression of autoimmune diseases leading to new treatments and prevention tips. Evidence is also mounting around the role of diet and lifestyle in autoimmune conditions, giving patients new avenues for taking charge of their health instead of simply waiting for a cure.

Autoimmune diseases are chronic and can affect almost any part of the body, including the heart, brain, muscles, skin, eyes, joints, lungs, kidneys, glands, digestive tract and blood vessels. Each disease carries its own set of symptoms, but inflammation is nearly always present, and are all connected by how the immune system attacks

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the body’s healthy tissues. “Those shared characteristics hold the potential for shared treatments, and ultimately potentially common cures,” says Jane Buckner, president of the Benaroya Research Institute (BRI), at Virginia Mason, in Seattle, which works to advance the prediction, prevention, reversal and cure of immune system diseases.

“I’m excited about our progress toward prevention. We are working to understand those tipping points in transitioning into disease that help us understand who is at highest risk, and helps give very directed therapies,” says James.

Self-Healing from Autoimmunity

By her early 20s, Mickey Trescott, of Willamette Valley, Oregon, was bedridden and had lost her job to autoimmune

bluedog studio/Shutterstock.com

disease. At one point, doctors thought it was multiple sclerosis (MS); she was dizzy, numb, falling over and slurring her speech.

Eventually, she was diagnosed with both Hashimoto’s and celiac diseases, affecting the thyroid and small intestine, respectively. Trescott, a nutritionist, chef and author of The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, had been vegan for 10 years, but had a feeling that her body needed something different.

She found an early version of what would become known as the autoimmune protocol (AIP), and in following its guidelines, began to find relief. Trescott connected with other women and started a private Facebook group to share information on what was improving their condition from which the AIP community sprung. AIP, an elimination diet that seeks to reset the immune system by cutting out inflammation-causing foods and treating leaky gut, has much in common with the paleo diet and promotes vitamin- and nutrient-rich foods. However, every individual comes out of the AIP process with a customized diet.

For Trescott, “Gluten is a foreverno, and I am also allergic to dairy and sensitive to a lot of nightshade vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers.” It took three years to recover most of her functioning, and although she had been a personal chef, it was still challenging to determine a new approach to eating that didn’t include the grains and legumes that had been staples of her diet.

Trescott is still on medications, including the same thyroid support she’s relied on from the start. “There is a misconception that the AIP is an alternative to conventional medicine. We really pride ourselves on using all the tools in our toolbox, including surgery, medication and lifestyle changes,” she says.

Anecdotal successes like Trescott’s have led researchers to pursue funding to test the AIP’s efficacy. In a pilot study of 18 individuals with an average sick time of 19 years that didn’t respond to traditional medication, 73 percent were in clinical remission at the end of the trial, having followed the AIP. “It was a small sample size, but the results are promising,” says Trescott.

Physician, Healed Thyself

Like many physicians, Terry Wahls focused on treating her patients with drugs or surgical procedures—until the Iowa City doctor was diagnosed with MS in 2000. Within three years, despite conventional medical treatments, her back and stomach muscles had weakened to the point where she needed a tilt-recline wheelchair, and by the summer of 2007, she could no longer sit up.

Though Wahls had been a vegetarian on a low-fat diet for 20 years, she went back to eating meat and gave up all dairy, wheat and grains, but still wasn’t improving. Delving back into the science of her condition, Wahls realized that mitochondrial support was key, and the speed of her decline slowed while taking a cocktail of vitamins to support its functioning.

It wasn’t until she took a comprehensive approach to optimize everything she could take in through her food rather than relying on supplements that she saw radical results: Her brain fog, fatigue and pain went away and she biked around the block for the first time in six years. “Taking in nutrients in the form of food rather than supplements, you get related compounds and thousands of others in biologically anticipated ratios,” explains Wahls. “I still do take some supplements, but the magic is the food.”

Those key ingredients, says Wahls, include magnesium, zinc, selenium, sulfur, amino acids, cholesterol, omega-6 and omega-3s, fats, carnitine and creatine. Her rule of thumb for daily intake is three cups of leafy green vegetables; three cups of

sulfuric vegetables like cabbage, mushrooms and onions; and three cups of deeply pigmented vegetables, plus sources of protein for meat eaters and vegetarians.

While her work was initially not accepted, today she has funding from the National MS Society and her research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. “Basic science is now showing that the microbiome has a huge impact on the immune system activity and the brain; the food we eat can turn gene expression on and off,” says Wahls, who hasn’t taken any drugs for her autoimmune condition since 2008.

Buckner cautions against patients trying to manage disease with lifestyle changes alone, without giving available allopathic treatments a fair try. “People do better if they are treated early and aggressively. They are reliant on fewer medications down the road and don’t have permanent damage if they seek treatment early.”

However, even researchers focused on pharmaceutical approaches acknowledge the importance of diet and lifestyle.

Meggan Mackay, professor of Molecular Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, at Northwell Health, in Manhasset, New York, believes this can play a critical role in disease management.

She cites numerous studies showing exercise as a stress-buster positively influencing disease outcomes, as well as a more specific study looking at the benefits of adding fish oil and vitamin D to the diets of lupus patients. “The rise in obesity, which is linked to increased inflammation in the U.S., may be one of reasons we are seeing more autoimmune disease than ever,” says Mackay.

At-risk individuals should be aware of factors under their control, adds James. “If someone is worried about autoimmune disease running in their family, monitoring and maintaining adequate vitamin D levels and avoiding smoking and other high-risk behaviors can help improve their chances.” Even sleep patterns can play a role in disease manifestation, says the researcher. In one study, individuals at high risk for autoimmune disease that slept less than seven hours per day were more likely to develop an autoimmune condition, according to James.

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There are some clear links between autoimmune diseases, such as the genetic predisposition that runs in families. “Someone with rheumatoid arthritis may have a sister with celiac disease, for example, and one individual may suffer from multiple autoimmune conditions. We can learn from these common genetic links,” says Buckner. These common links can serve as important clues. For example, Buckner says they are able to demonstrate changes in T cells in diabetes and MS that are the same, which might lead to common treatments for the two conditions.

While the process from basic scientific discovery to development of effective treatment can be slow, there are some concrete breakthroughs autoimmune researchers are excited about, having demonstrated ability to both prevent and delay disease. Citing a recent clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, “They have demonstrated in kids at high risk for developing Type 1

for decades. “The only forms of treatment have been very immune-suppressive medications that shut down the immune response. None of these medications are specific, so in shutting down the immune response to treat lupus, they in turn interfere with the body’s ability to fight off infection and cancer.” Researchers are now honing in on single cells from biopsies that indicate which proteins are abnormal, thereby helping develop more selective therapies, she says.

Seeing progress in the lab is one thing; seeing it in the waiting room is another, and that’s where autoimmune scientists and clinicians are really beginning to note a difference. “I’ve seen patients for 25 years, and when we started, we had very few options in my clinic, which was full of wheelchairs,” says Buckner. “In the last 20 years, we have seen an explosion in research and available treatments. I don’t have wheelchairs in my office anymore.”

diabetes the ability to delay onset for at least two years. It’s an incredibly exciting finding,” says Buckner.

Mackay is hopeful about advances in basic science addressing specific immune system abnormalities linked to inflammatory problems. “Lupus is very challenging to diagnose and treat because it can affect every system in the body,” says Mackay, whose research team has focused on lupus

fizkes/Shutterstock.com

Common Links Serve as Research Clues

Connect with Washington, D.C. freelance writer April Thompson at AprilWrites.com.

E-mail—catcrone@aol.com Phone — 352-595-3377 Website — www.cronescradleconserve.org

Kohlrabi — $3.00

Available Naturally Grown Vegetables Red Romaine Lettuce—$5.00/lb

Pak Choi — $3.00/lb

Sweet Onions—$1.50/lb

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Carrots—$3.00/lb

Leeks $3.00/lb Bunching Onions—$4.00/lb + more Available vegetables change weekly

Crones' Cradle Conserve has fresh vegetables and canned goods available.

In a effort to keep our employees and customers safe, we are offering a drive up produce pickup service. Call us Monday-Friday between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. at 352-595-3377 to place an order, pay with your credit card, receive a pick-up time for your order, and we will place your order in your vehicle.

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fit body

DANCING TO YOUR OWN DRUMMER The Healing Power of Movement

Luis Molinero /Shutterstock.com

M

by Marlaina Donato

ovement comes in many colors, from modern dance to country line dancing, and there’s something for everyone, including those that claim to have two left feet. Dancing is healthy for the heart and improves cognitive function by forging new neural pathways in the brain. It builds stronger bones, helps balance and improves flexibility and endurance. Putting on dancing shoes also has a positive effect on depressive disorders, flooding the brain with endorphins that uplift mood and jumpstart motivation. Dance has found its way into the clinical setting as a psychotherapeutic tool for healing trauma, eating disorders and addictions.

Dancing, in essence, is for everyone. “Dance is a human right, a feature of almost every culture in the world, and our natural inclination to dance is one of the things that makes us human,” says David Leventhal, program director of Dance for PD, a nonprofit Parkinson’s Disease program of the Mark Morris Dance Group, in Brooklyn.

Valerie Durham, a modern dancer in Baltimore specializing in the Isadora Duncan technique, concurs, “Birds don’t consider if they have talent for singing, they just sing. They sing because they have a voice. Similarly, dance is a right offered to anyone with a body.”

A Deterrent for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease and Cancer Going dancing on a Friday night also proves to nourish the brain. A 2017 study published in Frontiers of Aging Neuroscience shows evidence that dance increases white matter that diminishes with cognitive decline. An older study sponsored by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and published in the New England Journal of Medicine spotlights data gathered during a 21-year period and reveals that regular social dancing can reduce the risk for dementia in seniors by 76 percent.

“A number of peerreviewed research studies point to dance’s ability to improve motor skills and function of people living with Parkinson’s disease—balance, gait and tremor. Dance is expressive, giving people a creative voice when it feels that their capacity for physical, vocal and facial expression is being taken away,” says Leventhal.

Durham, who worked with patients at the University of Florida Shands Hospital Arts in Medicine Program in the 1990s, witnessed memorable responses from cancer patients. “We danced with patients who were attached to IVs and those even in the ICU, some who were

partially or even completely paralyzed, people who maybe could dance only with their eyes. And yet they danced,” marvels Durham. “Getting the lymphatic system, endorphins and breath flowing all elevate the body out of pain mode.”

Dancing from the Soul All forms of dancing have the capability to free the spirit and heal deep emotional wounds buried in the memory-holding fascia of the body’s soft tissues. Ecstatic dance, which has roots in ancient spiritual practices, is an unstructured option that dilutes limiting, self-conscious habits.

These days, ecstatic dance gatherings have been organized in cities around the world.

“There’s a vast movement in the dance world that has nothing to do with performance, but rather, is done for the joy of inhabiting a body in motion. Ecstatic dance is a free-form conscious dance and is a vibrant global community for people who love music and movement,” says Donna Carroll, founder of Ecstatic Dance International, in San Francisco. “When we can be courageous enough to turn away from our cultural norms that say you need ‘talent’ to dance, we get a chance to experience music through our bodies, and it can be quite pleasurable and life-affirming.

Ecstatic dance is one of the most effective methods to return to what matters, to our bodies, to our ‘home’, and is accessible for people of all abilities.”

In her artistic sphere of performance art, Durham has seen her students blossom from the inside-out. “They are able to connect with the deep wisdom in their bodies, thereby releasing old energetic wounds. Depression and anxiety are relieved during dance because you are so consciously consumed with the present moment of the steps and the music. Dancers will find that they feel more joyful and at peace at the end of a dance session.”

For Leventhal, moving the body is a blessing for all: “Dance should be accessible and enjoyable to everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive challenges.”

Marlaina Donato is an author, composer and painter. Connect at AutumnEmbers Music.com.

May 2020

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THE LAST STRAW for Plastic

T

by Nancy DeVault

he city of Gainesville’s solid waste division picks up about 30 straws per mile along local roadways. Unfortunately, even when people attempt to dispose them properly, straws literally fall through the cracks at recycling centers. Americans use 500 million straws every day, according to the nonprofit Eco-Cycle, and these small tubes contribute to a massive issue. Straws and tons of other plastics create litter, clog landfills, introduce chemicals into the environment and harm animals.

“There is no recyclable market for straws,” declares Gainesville Sustainability Manager Michael Heimbach. “The recycling processing facilities are not geared toward separating straws from the recycling mix.”

That’s why city and state governments nationwide are establishing legal limits.

Gainesville’s single-use plastic straw and plastic stirrer ban passed by the Alachua County Commission last summer took immediate effect with a compliance deadline of this January. The ordinance primary applies to food service providers throughout city limits and unincorporated county areas, but doesn’t impact sales of prepackaged

beverages such as juice boxes; boxed straws and stirrers sold at groceries and big box retailers; and exempt medical facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. Businesses may continue to provide plastic straws to consumers with disabilities upon request, but some advocates are concerned about accessibility, because it’s unlikely that all restaurants will continue to restock straws.

Heimbach says the majority of consumers and restaurant/bar owners understand and appreciate the intent of this sanction.

“The ban on single-use straws is part of the city of Gainesville’s ‘zero waste’ strategy which aims for reduction in waste sent to landfills and mitigate environmental impact,” he says. It’s part of an aggressive goal to achieve a 75 percent recycling rate this year, 90 percent by 2030 and zero waste by 2040.

City commissioners have voiced their desire to position Gainesville as an environmental leader. Other cities in the Sunshine State have passed similar bans as well, including Coral Gables, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Surfside, Miami Beach, Palm Beach, St. Petersburg and Stuart.

Local code enforcement began issuing hundreds of violation warnings in October, although no penalties ($250 fine) have been cited. “City staff is working with noncompliant businesses to meet the requirements of the ordinance,” Heimbach assures.

Satchel Raye, owner of Satchel Pizza, in Gainesville, says his customers were not impressed by the straw ban. The pizzeria uses paper cups, but will not shift to paper straws like others have. “They are 10 times the cost and people don’t like them,” Raye says, as paper straws quickly fall apart.

But he is now selling bamboo and metal straws. Meanwhile, the city is working to identify additional compostable alternatives such as straws made from wheat and agave, according to Heimbach.

Raye believes Styrofoam products are even worse, and should be similarly addressed as they’ve been in other parts of the country, like New York. The Alachua County Commission actually did pass a ban on single-use Styrofoam carry-out containers and single-use plastic bags, but was forced to repeal it because of a Florida Statue which states, “No local government, local governmental agency or state government agency may enact any rule, regulation or ordinance regarding use, disposition, sale, prohibition, restriction or tax of such auxiliary containers, wrappings or disposable plastic bags.”

For more information, visit ZeroWasteGNV.com.

HUUUU . . .

In good times or bad, singing or chanting HU can lift your heart to higher understanding, peace, and calm. www.miraclesinyourlife.org

ECKANKAR, The Path of Spiritual Freedom Gainesville: 352-378-3504 • Ocala: 352-867-4456

May 2020

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Practical Magic

Soul Nourishment The Kitchen As Sacred Space

by Marlaina Donato

I

n our busy lives, grabbing food on the run or eating while standing at the kitchen counter is often the norm. Designating the kitchen as a practical sanctuary and seeing the sacredness of food not only makes it more conducive to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but also gives our spirits much-needed satiety.

“If we don’t touch the transcendent— emotionally and spiritually—physical nourishment won’t fill us up,” says Ronna Kabatznick, Ph.D., former psychological consultant to Weight Watchers International and the author of The Zen of Eating: Ancient Answers to Modern Weight Problems. “Seeing the kitchen as sacred is something that represents gratitude, beauty and blessings.”

Delia Baron, co-author of Better Together Kitchen: Beautiful Recipes to Share With People You Love and the host of seasonal food workshops with partner Ronnit Hoppe in Melbourne, Australia, concurs, “The kitchen is often the heartbeat of the home and the best place to gather, feast, chat and create beautiful memories and rituals. The kitchen is also a place to connect to our food source.”

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Fun and Felicity

Preparing meals the old-fashioned way can slow us down and foster mindfulness, but Kabatznick emphasizes that cooking is irrelevant. “Look at the kitchen in terms of possibilities: ‘What can I create in this space?’ You don’t have to turn into Julia Child,” she says, adding, “You could be eating Chinese takeout or a prune; it’s all about mindset and simple rituals like saying a blessing, appreciating what we eat as a great gift.” Kabatznick encourages everyone to eat with dignity, and this includes using the good dishes, putting fresh flowers on the table and eating with awareness.

Seeing the kitchen as the inspired nucleus of the home, it’s natural to add favorite items like art prints, colorful jars, sentimental treasures, dried flowers and other seasonal delights to nourish daily contentment. Conjuring an element of joy adorns the mundane. “Put on some music to put you in either a peaceful or joyful mood,” says Molly Larkin, author, healing practitioner and blogger at Ancient Wisdom for Balanced Living (MollyLarkin.com), in Corrales, New Mexico. “Turn off the TV and give everyone in the family a job.

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Meal prep can be enjoyable and even relaxing in a calm environment. For Baron, organization is key. She advises, “Having all the ingredients you need and working in a clean space also helps make the experience rewarding.”

The smallest of kitchens can be abundant and organized with the help of a little innovation. A simple bookcase can offer additional shelf space for dry goods, bowls of produce or favorite cups. A small end table can hold a favorite tea pot and a jar of gourmet dark chocolate. A beautiful basket can hold go-to spice jars, and a pretty pitcher near the stove can accommodate a multitude of cooking utensils. “If you can’t fit it all out of sight in a cabinet, get some glass jars, fill them with grains, flours and legumes and line them up on the countertop. It will be neat, and you can see what you have,” suggests Larkin.

In the end, a well-nourished body and spirit fosters a beautiful life and inspires the same in others. An advocate for supporting the hungry in all communities, Kabatznick underscores local efforts and seeing the big picture of our relationship with food: “Taking out the garbage and cleaning up is also a sacred act if we bring that attitude into it. Food connects us to the Earth, the moon and the stars. From the seed to the truck driver—everything and everyone involved—the process of food is miraculous.”

Marlaina Donato is the author of several books and a composer. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

Laugh throughout the meal preparation.

Dance as you cook. Do the same thing if you live alone.”

Preparing food, whether a healthy smoothie or a gourmet weekend dinner for two, is a way to express love for ourselves and others. Baron loves the presence of plants, lovely ceramics and interesting platters and dishes, and notes, “Families can definitely shop, chop, cook and mealplan together to make the kitchen a fun place to be. Doing these things together is very bonding and sends the message that looking after yourself is important.”

conscious eating

SACRED SERVINGS

Spring Fever Salad with Flowers and Fruit

HEALTHY LIVING

HEALTHY PLANET

Yields: 4 servings photo by Marlaina Donato

1 head romaine or green leaf lettuce 8 medium-large organic strawberries, thinly sliced, or 2 small packages of fresh organic raspberries Handful of fresh, chemical-free flowers from the garden or store’s produce section: nasturtium, pansies and/or calendulas; gathered wild: spring violets and dandelion blooms

In-the-Bowl Dressing:

Moroccan-Spiced Red Lentil Soup

photo by Marlaina Donato

Yields: 4 servings 4 cups water 1½ cup red lentils 1 tsp sea salt 1 medium-size organic carrot, chopped in bite-size pieces 2 soft, dried apricots, chopped, or 1 Tbsp golden raisins or 2 dates, chopped ¼ tsp ground cloves ¼ tsp ground turmeric ¼ tsp ground coriander seeds or ½ tsp crushed coriander seeds ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp crushed or ground cumin seeds 2 tsp extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil

Juice from one fresh tangerine 1 part organic apple cider vinegar to 2 parts avocado oil Dash of sea salt Add avocado oil, apple cider vinegar and salt into a large bowl, swirl around twice. Tear (don’t chop) lettuce and add to the preliminary dressing. Squeeze tangerine juice over lettuce and toss lightly until well-dressed. Place strawberry slices over salad. Sprinkle (don’t toss) flowers on top or artfully place where desired.

Serve immediately.

Bring water, carrots, apricots and all spices and seasonings to boil. Add red lentils, stir once and set heat to low. Cover pot with lid. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, remove from heat. Add olive oil and allow to sit for five minutes before serving.

Optional toppings for each bowl: finely chopped red onion, red pepper flakes, fresh cilantro and/or a sprinkle of turmeric.

Natural Awakenings recommends using organic, non-GMO (genetically modified) and non-bromated ingredients whenever possible.

2020 EDITORIAL CALENDAR HEALTHY LIFESTYLES ISSUE

JAN

Age-Defying Habits Plus: Healthy Immune System

FEB

Cardiovascular Health Plus: Regenerative Medicine

PLANT-BASED NUTRITION ISSUE

MAR

Thriving on a Plant-Based Diet Plus: CBD

APR

Grassroots Climate Crisis Strategies Plus: Healthy Home

WOMEN’S WELLNESS ISSUE

MAY

Autoimmune Breakthroughs Plus: Protein & Collagen Connection

JUN

Inspired Lifestyle Travel Plus: Brain Health

THE FOOD CONNECTION ISSUE

JUL

Beyond Factory Farming Plus: Gut Health

AUG

Biological Dentistry Plus: Environmental Education

SELF-EMPOWERMENT ISSUE

SEP

Emotional Well-Being Plus: Adaptive Yoga

OCT

Stress Management Plus: Joint Health

THE DIABETES CHALLENGE ISSUE

NOV

Personalized Diabetes Strategies Plus: Skin Care

DEC

Creating Community & Connection Plus: Spending Locally

IN EVERY ISSUE...

HEALTH BRIEFS | GLOBAL BRIEFS ECO TIP | GREEN LIVING HEALING WAYS | FIT BODY CONSCIOUS EATING HEALTHY KIDS | WISE WORDS INSPIRATION | NATURAL PET

May 2020

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MIKHAIL MAKOVKIN/Shutterstock.com

Whole-Grain Dark Chocolate-Banana Muffins Yields: 12 muffins

mission

statement To empower individuals to live a healthier lifestyle on a healthier planet.

To educate communities on the latest in natural health and sustainability.

To connect readers with local wellness resources and events, inspiring them to lead more balanced lives.

Make your community

½ cup organic whole-wheat flour, sifted (protein-rich, gluten-free option: 1 cup organic brown rice flour and ½ cup organic soy flour or 1 cup organic brown rice flour and ½ cup garbanzo flour) ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ cup coconut sugar, evaporated cane juice or turbinado ½ tsp salt 3½ tsp fresh baking powder 1 cup water or unsweetened non-dairy milk (or half of each to make a cup) 2 tsp extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil or cold-pressed sunflower oil 2 organic eggs, beaten (for vegan option: ¼ to ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce) 2 tsp natural vanilla extract 1½ mashed ripe bananas 2 tsp molasses 1 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp cloves ¼ tsp dried ginger 2 dashes of nutmeg 1 dash of allspice (optional) Pre-heat oven to 400° F and grease muffin tin with sunflower or olive oil (or line with cupcake papers). Sift flour and cocoa powder into bowl. Add baking powder, salt, sugar and spices; mix well. Combine water/milk,

a little

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vanilla, molasses, oil and eggs (or apple sauce), and add to dry mixture. Stir, lifting the spoon high with each stirring to get air into the mixture. Do not beat or overmix.

Leave it a bit lumpy.

Fold in bananas. Fill muffin cups half to three-quarters full and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Place muffin tin on wire rack and allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing each muffin by hand (avoid turning tin over to get muffins out, or the extra-moist, fruit-filled muffins might come apart).

Optional treat: Dip muffin tops into melted coconut oil and roll in coconut sugar or turbinado. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Recipes by Marlaina Donato, author of several books and a composer. Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

and save for a fresh tomato sauce or some other recipe the next day. Peel and dice the onion and garlic.

In a nonstick frying pan. add four Tbsp of water and set heat to medium. Add onions and stir-fry until they start to brown.

Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for about 3 minutes or until they start to brown, then add the squash, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then stir fry for another 5 minutes.

Squash and Tomatoes Is Healthy, Tasty and Fun to Fix

M

ay is the season for farm-fresh tomatoes and squash in Central Florida. Freshly picked, sun-ripened tomatoes are full of flavor, and when combined with squash, mushrooms, pine nuts, garlic and lots of fresh herbs, they are a delicious and healthy treat.

Serve this dish with a side of brown rice, bulgur, couscous, buckwheat or any other whole grain to add some healthy carbs and fiber, or make a side salad for a low-carb option. This whole food, plant-based and oil-free recipe is a heart-healthy choice.

Tomatoes are high in vitamin C, A and K, potassium, antioxidants, and flavonoids, including lycopene. Squash contains vitamin C, B2, B6 and manganese, and mushrooms are high in vitamin B2, B3, potassium, copper and selenium. Herbs are full of vitamins, and minerals, and bring many benefits, plus aroma and taste, to any meal.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Squash, Mushrooms and Pine Nuts Yields: two servings:

4 tomatoes 1 medium-sized squash 4-5 mushrooms 3 generous handfuls of fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary) ½ onion 1-2 garlic cloves ½ lemon, juiced 4 Tbsp water Salt and pepper to taste

In the meantime put a frying pan on the stovetop, put heat to low and roast the pine nuts until they begin to become fragrant and start to brown. Make sure to shake the pan to turn the pine nuts so they brown evenly. Once done, add pine nuts to the squash and mushroom stir-fry and turn off the heat, then stir everything well.

Take an oven-proof gratin form and add a tiny bit of water (to prevent things from sticking). With a spoon, fill the hollow tomatoes with the squash, and mushroom stir-fry and place them into gratin form.

Bake for about 20 minutes, then serve with a side of choice.

Optional for cheese lovers: sprinkle with nutritional yeast to add some cheesy flavor.

Recipe courtesy of Eliane Baggenstos, RN, LMT, certified health coach and plant-based diet expert. Please see ad, page 37.

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Preheat the oven to 375 F. Wash and drain the tomatoes, squash, mushrooms and the herbs. Chop the mushrooms into small pieces and cut the squash into small, bite-size cubes.

Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and carve out parts of the flesh with a spoon to make a hollow tomato, while making sure to leave about ¼-inch of flesh with the skin and don’t perforate the skin. Put the carved-out flesh into a bowl and turn the hollow tomato upside-down on a plate to drain the excess water. Repeat for the rest of the tomatoes.

Drain the excess water from the bowl containing the tomato flesh

(352) 559-3003 • 520 NE 1ST AVENUE, OCALA May 2020

31

natural pet

Eastern and Western Veterinary Care Meet at Chi Institute

by Nancy DeVault

P

et owners are therapy comparable progressively to massage and seeking alchiropractic. Its ternative veterinary continuing educacare for their furry tion (CE) courses family members, are approved by such as traditional AAVSB RACE and Chinese veterinary New York state, and medicine (TCVM), its TCVM master an extension of program is licensed Traditional Chinese by the Florida ComMedicine (TCM) mission for Indewhich uses ancient pendent Education mind and body and accredited by practices. While the Distance Educait’s relatively new tion Accrediting to Western culture, Commission. Xie TCVM has long believes in a balbeen used in China. anced application Dr. Huisheng Xie

In 1998, Dr. of both TCVM and Huisheng Xie founded the Chi Institute of Western veterinary medicine for complete Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine veterinary medical care. to teach veterinarians and veterinary

“TCVM is a holistic approach school students the four pillars of TCVM: that is suited to assess the well-being acupuncture, food therapy, herbal mediof the whole patient, and treatments cine and tui-na, a Chinese manipulation are generally noninvasive with few side

The best medical system involves the integration of the two systems so that the strengths of one can compensate for the weaknesses of the other. ~Huisheng Xie 32

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effects. However, TCVM lacks the tools necessary to pinpoint illness to specific disease-causing agents like pathogenic bacteria or viruses, and treatments are better suited for chronic conditions than acute ones,” explains Xie, who serves as the institute’s president.

“On the other hand, Western veterinary medicine utilizes the tools of modern science to diagnose disease with great precision, and Western drugs and procedures are powerful and fast-acting,” he explains. “However, its insistence on detailed diagnosis may come at the expense of getting the larger picture.

Furthermore, while modern medicine can perform miracles for trauma and acute injuries, it has little to offer chronic conditions like liver failure and atopy, which can be treated effectively with acupuncture and herbal medicine.”

Marketing coordinator Nabby Rivera says most students come to the Chi Institute without any previous training in holistic care. “DVMs (doctors of veterinary medicine) take our continuing education courses and get educational credits through us to maintain their license,” Rivera says. The most popular CE courses focus on acupuncture, with emphasis choices of small breed, mixed breed and equine. “We are track-specific so veterinarians can specialize and get certified in what they need for their practices,” she shares.

Dr. Beverly Chevallier says she expected a weekend seminar to satisfy her curiosity surrounding TCVM. “I had no idea that the concepts and the material would be so foreign to me and that I would leave Chi with more questions than I had answers for,” she admits. A weekend course in 2012, kickstarted a new path that led Chevallier to a master’s degree as a Certified Traditional Chinese Veterinary Practitioner, “The Chi Institute changed my practice, changed my life and changed my outlook for the future-all in a positive way.

I only regret not starting this journey 35 years ago,” she says.

The way Xie describes it, a disease disrupts normal bodily functions and acupuncture restores normal body homeostasis to allow innate healing and regeneration to function optimally. “For

Dr. Xie demonstrating Electroacupuncture

example, acupuncture releases betaendorphins that can relieve pain. Another example is that acupuncture mobilizes the stem cells from bone marrow, thus healing injury,” he shares.

Chevallier mixes TCVM into every patient care visit at her Fayetteville-based practice, Active Life Acupuncture & Wellness Center. “If it’s a routine annual examination and vaccinations, I look at the tongue, check the hair coat, feel the pulses, ask about diet, give the vaccine in an immunostimulant point for better immune response, give advice on the diet, etc.,” she says. Chevallier playfully says her integrative approach has transcended her, in the eyes of pet owners, from being a really good veterinarian to a wizard. “Everyone thinks I’m magic now,” she jokes about her impressive success rate.

Onsite classes are held locally at the main campus of the Chi Institute, in Reddick, just 20 miles south of Xie’s alma mater, the University of Florida. As a gator, he earned a Ph.D. for his investigation of the mechanisms of pain control in horses via acupuncture, and he remains active on campus as a clinical professor at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine. The Chi Institute has expanded to a dozen satellite schools worldwide, with both online and face-to-face instruction. To date, more than 8,000 practitioners from 75 countries have received TCVM training.

Xie proclaims that acupuncture alone effectively treats pain, tendon/ligament

injury, intervertebral disc disease, seizure, diarrhea, constipation, cough and other conditions. Still, the Chi Institute offers additional TCVM curricula beyond acupuncture through advanced CE courses that feature food therapy, herbal medicine and tui-na, in addition to concepts of neurology, ophthalmology and palliative care. “A combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is an effective therapeutic of skin problems, cancer, Cushing’s syndrome and diabetes,” Xie says.

Thanks to firsthand application, Rivera agrees that a combination approach often works best. Her 18-year-old cat has been in kidney failure for two years, and since initiating a twice-daily regime of herbs and regular acupuncture, little Gypsy has made significant improvements, including increased energy, a healthier appetite and an overall better quality of life.

Xie believes TCVM and Western veterinary medicine each provide to patients what the other lacks. “The best medical system involves the integration of the two systems so that the strengths of one can compensate for the weaknesses of the other,” he says. A TCVM practitioner directory is accessible through the World Association of Traditional Chinese Veterinary at watcvm.org.

Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine is located at 9650 W. Hwy. 318, in Reddick. For more information, call 800-860-1543 or visit TCVM.com.

Statue in front of the Equine Acupuncture Center

Small Animal Acupuncture Lab at the Chi Institute

Equine Acupuncture Wet Lab

Small Animal Acupuncture Lab at the Chi Institute May 2020

33

Eye Care for Kids A Clear Path to Healthy Vision

by Ronica A. O’Hara

T

he blurry distant vision of myopia is a worldwide epidemic. Nearsightedness has doubled in the U.S. since 1971 to 42 percent, and in some Asian countries it affects 90 percent of teens and adults, reports the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Eye doctors say the key time to pay attention is during childhood, because myopia and other eye and vision problems can be reversed or stabilized if addressed at an early age.

“Parents tend to assume that vision problems aren’t a concern for the young and healthy, but it’s never too early to promote healthful habits or to be on the lookout for potential vision issues,” advises ophthalmologist Sandy T. Feldman, M.D., medical director of the Clearview Eye & Laser Medical Center, in San Diego.

Ophthalmologists and optometrists recommend having a child’s eyes tested at 6 months, 3 years and 5 or 6 years to detect nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, “lazy eye” (amblyopia), crossed or misaligned eyes (strabismus) and other potential problems. “For signs of trouble, I ask parents if they have seen their child have an eye that wanders or if the child covers an eye regularly, they are rubbing their eyes or playing with their 34

North Central FL Edition

toys close to their face,” says optometrist Nathan Langemo, of the Hopkins Eye Clinic, in Hopkins, Minnesota.

If myopia becomes severe, it can lead to retinal detachment, premature cataracts and glaucoma in adulthood, but early detection is possible. An Ohio State University study of 4,500 children found that myopia in eighth-graders could be predicted in the first grade by their eyeglass prescription. Children at age 6 are naturally slightly farsighted, and those with normal vision are more likely to become myopic later.

A common medical treatment to slow myopia in kids is daily use of 0.01 percent atropine eye drops, the medication used to dilate an eye before an exam. It slowed down nearsightedness by roughly 50 percent in Singapore children. A new, twoyear study shows that combining the eye drops with nightly contact lens-wearing is 28 to 38 percent more effective. For preschoolers with amblyopia, an iPad game called Dig Rush was shown to be helpful in a University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center study. Hong Kong researchers report that 15 weeks of acupuncture beat out eye patches for treating children with lazy eyes, resolving the condition in 41 percent of cases, compared to 16 percent.

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The simplest preventive strategy for myopia may be simply to shoo children outdoors every day, including involving them in outdoor sports. Researchers aren’t sure whether it’s the vitamin D effect or the fact that when they are outdoors kids focus more on distant objects like trees and balls than when reading a book or screen, but recent studies in Taiwan and Denmark have verified that more time outdoors is linked to less myopia. Even sitting in sunlight inside while reading or using fullspectrum light bulbs is protective, say researchers. When outdoors, “Make sure the child has 100 percent UVA and UVB sun protection for the eyes,” advises Langemo, including using UV contact lenses.

Evidence is mixed on whether closeup reading brings on childhood myopia, but a study of 500 college students that heavily used computers found 53 percent reporting headaches, 55 percent with burning sensations in the eyes and 48 percent with tired eyes. When kids focus on a computer, their eye-refreshing blinking rate slows from 10 to 12 times a minute to three or four times a minute, says optometrist Marc Grossman, of New Paltz, New York, author of Natural Eye Care: Your Guide To Healthy Vision and Healing.

He recommends taking breaks at least 10 minutes every hour, using homeopathic eye drops and gently massaging the eyes by moving fingers from the inner corner, around the upper socket and underneath, stopping about six times to massage each point for five to 10 seconds.

It’s also important to remove household hazards. Medical emergency rooms increasingly report eye injuries in kids from popular toy weapons like Nerf, BB guns and paintball guns, as well as colorful detergent pods that preschoolers love to squeeze or bite, plus aerosol spray from paint, hairspray, cleaning products and bug repellants.

Feeding children the right foods, including lots of vegetables, fruits and grains, also benefits their eyes. The omega-3s in fish oil, nuts and seeds help minimize dry eye, and leafy greens and eggs have the eye-protective antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.

Ronica A. O’Hara is a Denver-based health writer. Connect at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

healthy kids

equine events

calendar of events NOTE: All calendar events must be submitted via our website by the 10th of the month and must adhere to our guidelines. Visit GoNaturalAwakenings.com for guidelines and to submit entries.

FRIDAY, MAY 1 Ocala Art Walk - 6pm. Free. Music, local artists and businesses and dining. The Square in Ocala, 11 E Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala. 352-390-8969.

OnTheSquareOcala.com.

Sisterhood Conference: Fully Known, Deeply Loved – May 1-2. 6pm. $40. Calling all ladies, sisterhood conference is all about helping you discover hope, healing and your identity. City Light Church, 4645 E Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala.

SATURDAY, MAY 2 2020 Island Grove Blueberry Festival - 8am-3pm.

Free. Bring the whole family for delicious food, arts and crafts vendors, kids activities, live music, a bake sale, a cake contest, yard sale, blueberry plant sales & fresh blueberries. Steel Magnolias, 21921 SE US Hwy 301, Gainesville. 352-481-2740.

CrossCreekFestival.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 1 Derby Days Barrel Race – May 1-3. 12am-9pm.

Barrel racing which includes the Kentucky Derby for all Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2200 NE Jacksonville Rd, Ocala. 352-671-8600. MarionCountyFl.com.

SATURDAY, MAY 9 Ocala Aquatics Bootlegger’s Ball & Casino Night – 7-11pm. $50-$95. The Roaring Twenties Bootlegger’s Ball & Casino Night with casinostyle games, dancing, silent auction, food and drinks. Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club, 8300 NW 31st Lane Rd, Ocala. 352-873-5811.

352-873-5811.

FRIDAY, MAY 15 Southeastern Pro Rodeo – 7:30am-10pm. $18$35. Wrangler National Patriot Night at The Rodeo recognizing the men and women who have served and are currently serving our Country and First Responders serving our Communities. Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2200 NE Jacksonville Rd, Ocala. 888-744-8499. OcalaRodeo.com.

Bring Natural Awakenings home!

Haile Farmers Market - 8:30am-Noon. Enjoy live music while you stroll the tree-lined streets of the Haile Village Center. Shop for seasonal produce, fresh dairy, pastured meat, artisan wares, handmade gifts and more. A treasure for both Gainesville locals and visitors! Haile Farmers Market, 5213 SW 91 Ter, Gainesville. 352-639-0446. HaileFarmersMarket.com.

Rainbow Springs Paddle, Pedal & Grub - 9am4pm. Free. Start at Ross Prairie Trailhead and Campground where we will ride the west side of Santos Trail systems. Beginner to intermediate biking trails based on experience of the group. Ross Prairie Trailhead, 10660 SW Hwy 200, Dunnellon. 352431-4339. AdventuresOnTheDaily.business.site.

Living History Days Nature Program - 9am4:30pm. Free. Step back in time and experience interpreters portray day to day life on an 1870 Florida farm. Living History Farm at Morningside Nature Center, 3540 E University Ave, Gainesville.

352-334-2170. 352Arts.org.

4th Annual Southern Seed School Online – 9am5pm. $39. Seed school is for everyone! Whether you are a gardener, farmer, permaculturalist, an existing or future seed librarian, have in interest in preserving regional biodiversity and heirlooms, are curious about

vegetable breeding, varietal improvement, and how to steward locally adapted varieties. Grow Hub, 2900 NE 8th Ave, Gainesville. Info@WorkingFood.org. Memberplanet.com/events/forage/southernseedschool2020.

Fox Pen Preserve Grand Opening - 10am-1pm.

Free. Celebrate the opening of a diverse preservation habitat for Florida’s wildlife and waterways. Fox Pen Preserve, 10321 Holden Park Rd, Hawthorne.

352-373-1078. AlachuaConservationTrust.org.

Art Pop Festival - 11am-3pm. Free. Family and pet friendly. A pop-up festival with live music, specialty foods and drinks, fun activities and a wide variety of local arts and crafts. One Love Cafe, 4989 NW 40th Pl, Gainesville. Hosted by Festivals at Magnolia Parke. 352-509-3131. OneLove.cafe.

SUNDAY, MAY 3 Ride for the Arts Gran Fondo - 8am-1pm. $60-$105.

Three ride routes for all levels with timed segments that cover beautiful and challenging rolling hills through the Horse Capital of the World. Gran Fondo, 23 SW Broadway St, Ocala. 352-369-1500. RaceRoster.com.

Fun at the Park 3rd Annual Music and Art - 1-4pm. Free. Music, arts and crafts and more.

Sholom Park, 7110 SW 80th Ave, Ocala. 352-8730848. SholomPark.org.

MONDAY, MAY 4 Grove Street Farmers Market - 4-7pm. Free. Local fresh produce, food, and flower vendors. Grove Street Farmers Market, 910 NW 4th St, Gainesville.

352-376-4993. CypressAndGrove.com.

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Please send my print copy to: Name _______________________________________ Address _____________________________________ City __________________State _______Zip ________ Mail to: Natural Awakenings 7797 SW 19th Avenue Rd, Ocala, FL 34476

May 2020

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SUNDAY, MAY 10

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6

Mother’s Day at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens - 9am-3pm. Free to Mothers of all ages. . Celebrate Mother’s Day and explore the gardens. 4700 SW 58th Dr, Gainesville. 352-372-4981. Kanapaha.org.

Wednesday Bird Walks at the Wetlands 8:30-11:30am. $5. Family Friendly. Discover the rich diversity of birds at the newest birding hotspot. Tour is led by volunteers from Alachua Audubon Society and Park rangers. Walks are free with admission. Sweetwater Wetlands Park, 325 SW Williston Rd, Gainesville. 352-393-8520.

SweetwaterWetlands.org.

Union Street Farmers Market - 4-7pm. Featuring over 40 vendors selling a variety of products, including produce, meats, eggs and dairy, prepared foods, and more. Bo Diddley Plaza, 111 E University Ave, Gainesville. 352-334-5067. CityOfGainesville.org.

Florida’s Female Pioneers - 7-8:15pm. $20.

Examining some of the women who helped shape and mold Florida with everything from the first racially integrated free school to conservationists who helped form the nucleus of the Everglades National Park. Led by Dr. Peggy Macdonald. The Old Courthouse Heritage Museum, 1 Courthouse Sq, Inverness. 352-3416428. CCHistoricalSocietyShop.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 8 May Women’s Lunar Art Circle - 6-8pm. $25. A gently guided meditation using art as a tool for healing.

Scheduled either on the week of the full moon or the week of a new moon. Call in, support and laugh with each other. Light refreshments and supplies included.

Alchemy Tattoo and Fine Art, 1012 E Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala. 407-709-8891. NaomiShanti.com.

Moonthly Drum Gathering - 8-Midnight. Family friendly. Drum jam, percussion and didgeridoos welcome. One drink minimum included. All experience levels welcome and extra drums and instruments available to lend. Muddy Lotus Tea Kava, 520 NE 1st, Ave. Ocala. 352-559-3003.

OcalaDrumCircles.com.

King Of The Bay Fishing Tournament - 5-7pm.

Free. Live music, food trucks, art, craft and fishing vendors. Silent auction and raffles. Big cash prizes for the biggest catch. Pete’s Pier Marina, 1 SW 1st Place, Crystal River. PetesPier.com.

SATURDAY, MAY 9 36th Annual Windsor Zucchini Festival - 9am-4pm.

Free. The gathering will include an arts and crafts show with over 100 vendors, zucchini-carving and cooking contests, plant sale, Plant-a-Pot of flowers for Mother’s Day, general store, big raffle, live music, children’s activities including pony rides, inflatables, games and a

Crystals Books Tarot decks Jewelry Candles Essential Oils Unique gifts Metaphysical and Spiritual Supplies

MONDAY, MAY 11

Kids Fire Fighter Challenge and of course food. Windsor Volunteer Fire Station, 1401 SE County Rd, 234, Gainesville. 352-372-4875. Windsor-Z-News.org.

Community Planting Day Meadows/Prairie 10am-Noon. Free. Once a year for each ecosystem we have a planting day where family and friends can join our staff and other volunteers as we restore the cemetery by planting a Living Memorial at their loved one’s grave. Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, 7204 SE County Rd 234, Gainesville. 352317-7307. PrairieCreekConservationCemetery.org.

Silver River Fun Paddle - 10am-2pm. $25-$65.

Experience Florida’s natural habitat, including monkeys, manatees, and other aquatic life while Stand Up Paddle boarding or kayaking the natural springs. Ray Wayside Park, 9560 NE 28th Ln, Silver Springs. 352-431-4339.

AdventuresOnTheDaily.business.site.

Reiki Level 1 Training Class - 11am-3pm. $180. Training class prequel to Reiki 2. Intense workshop class for learning the fundamentals of Reiki and to start using Reiki for your own personal Healing or Healing others. Includes manual, bottle of Chakra Balancing Oil and Attunement. Spirit of Gaia Aromatherapy Works, 5364 SE 39th Loop, Ocala. 631-880-8859.

SpiritOfGaiaEssentialOilBlends.com.

Ice Cream in the Park - 1-3pm. Free. Ice cream social with vegan options available. Rockwood Park, 2221 NW 22nd St, Gainesville. 352-373-1078.

AlachuaConservationTrust.org.

Crystal Singing Bowl Sound Healing Meditation with Susan - 6-7pm. $20. One full hour of restorative energy combined with sound healing and meditation to promote healing on all levels.

Led by Susan. Bring items of comfort such as a yoga mat, pillow and blanket. Soul Essentials of Ocala, 805 SE Ft King St, Ocala. 352-236-7000.

SoulEssentialsOfOcala.com.

SATURDAY, MAY 16 Hot Stone Massage Course - 9am-5pm. $265$300. This class will give you the skills, technique and safety information you need to implement this treatment immediately with your clients. You and your client will experience the benefits and effects of Hot Stone Therapy. Come learn this deeply relaxing, and highly requested therapeutic treatment technique. Florida School of Massage, 6421 SW 13 St, Gainesville. 352-378-7891. FloridaMassage.net.

Reflexology for the Hands - 9am-6pm. $300. No pre-requisite training required. Learn to perform a relaxing hand reflexology session addressing 34 body structures, the three primary contraindications for reflexology; adapt reflexology sessions to individual client health considerations and more. EC&D, 218 NW 2nd Ave, Gainesville.

AcademyOfAncientReflexology.com.

CWN Health & Wellness Fair - 10am-2pm.

Citrus women’s networking will be showcasing member’s businesses. Fit Full Force, 118 N Pine Ave, Inverness. CitrusWomensNetworking.com.

Open House at Lubee Bat Conservancy - 11am3pm. $5, Children under 4, free. Visit with beautiful bats while they enjoy their enrichment filled day. Join in on educational talks, visit our native bat houses, and speak with experts on installation and exclusion. Lubee Bat Conservancy, 1309 NW 192nd Ave, Gainesville. 352-485-1250. Lubee.org.

SUNDAY, MAY 17 Charlie Horse Charity Golf Tournament - 7am2pm. Come out and play for a good cause. All proceeds will be going to Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection. Charlie Horse, 2426 E Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala. 352-622-4050. OcalaCharlieHorse.com.

Remember, PLANS CHANGE! Reiki Sessions 352.693.4592 Classes & Meditation FairyDustCrystals.com Like us on Facebook Readers

Your Holistic and Spiritual Healing Center 11781 SE Hwy 441, Belleview, FL 34420 (at the Almeida Plaza)

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Weeklong Comics Workshop - 5pm. $250-$750.00.

For beginners and experienced students alike, this personalized, supportive learning environment is designed to move any project ahead by leaps and bounds. You’ll leave inspired and armed with useful techniques and insights to keep up your creative momentum. Sequential Artists Workshop, 722 S Main St, Gainesville.

352-234-6729. SequentialArtistsWorkshop.org.

North Central FL Edition

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Please call ahead to confirm dates and times.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 Veterans Memorial Concert - 7-9pm. The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra and Combat Veterans to Careers as they salute our veterans in a memorial tribute to our great nation and those who fought hard for our freedom. This concert benefits Combat Veterans to Careers. The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center, 1051 Main St The Villages. 352-7517799. TheVillages.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 22 Pet and Animal Portrait Mixed Media Class 5:30-8:30pm. $65. Express your love for animals and art through this drawing class. Learn how to create using mixed media with a wide variety of paper and utensils to make your painting come to life. No experience needed. Marion County Literacy Council, Inc., 120 SW 5th St, Ocala. 352-615-5429.

MaggiesAngels.com.

SATURDAY, MAY 23 Reiki Level 2 Certification Class - 11am-4:30pm. $240. Attunement for level 2. Gain knowledge, understanding with your own unique abilities.

Intense workshop taught by Reiki Master Teacher.

Must have prior certification in Reiki Level 1 with a minimum of 3 months in Level 1 in order to take this class. Payment in advance is required. Spirit of Gaia Aromatherapy Works, 5364 SE 39th Loop, Ocala. SpiritOfGaiaEssentialOilBlends.com.

Autism Fitness Level 1 - 10:30am-6:30pm. Uncover the complex intersection of Applied Behavior Analysis, Communication Styles & Systems in Education and Exercise Science. Gainesville Health & Fitness, 4820 W Newberry Rd, Gainesville. 352377-4955. GHFC.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 29 Core Zero Balancing - 9am-3pm. $395-$595. With Jim McCormick. This class in core zero balancing introduces the intellectual and practical framework of the art and science of Zero Balancing. Students learn both how to perform zero balancing and how Zero Balancing feels to receive. Academy for Five Element Acupuncture, 305 SE 2nd Ave, Gainesville.

352-335-2332. Acupuncturist.edu.

SATURDAY, MAY 30 Inverness Dragon Boat Festival - 9am-4pm. Free.

Cheer on the Dragon Boats as they race across the water.

Fun for the whole family. Enjoy great foods and shop at the Vendor Village while playing a little cornhole. Bring a lawn chair. Wallace Brooks Park, 328 E Dampier St, Inverness. 813-846-1316. Jens-Market.com Things That Fly: Wildlands Nature Adventures - 10am-Noon. $15. Ages 6-16. Learn about flying animals and insects and how these creatures take flight. Participants will get to construct their own kite to take home. Fort King National Historic Landmark and Visitor Center, 3925 E Fort King St, Ocala. 352-368-5533. OcalaFl.org.

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

COLONICS GENTLE WATERS HEALING CENTER 352-374-0600 Gainesville Info@GentleWatersHealing.com

The therapists at Gentle Waters Healing Center assist each individual with detoxing using colon hydrotherapy and/or far infrared sauna. Call Dawn Brower for more information or visit G e n t l e Wa t e r s H e a l i n g . c o m .

MA41024, MM15426.

ENERGY BALANCING SANDY WILSON

EFT, Emotion Code, Body Code, Hypnosis 352-454-8959 EFTSandy@yahoo.com SandraWilsonPositiveChange.com With balanced energy, you feel better, make better decisions, and have better relationships.

Sandy will help balance your energy so you can achieve your health, wealth, and relationship goals. See website or call to start achieving your goals.

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

HEALTH COACHING BODONO HEALTH SERVICES 352-559-9355 Bodono.com Info@bodono.com

Improve your health and strengthen your immune system!

Our Certified Health Coach, Registered Nurse and PlantBased Expert offers one-on-one coaching via Zoom, Skype or Facetime. We will create a meal plan tailored to your needs and preferences and provide you with a tool kit to help you reach your goals.

LOCALLY-GROWN PRODUCE CRONES’ CRADLE CONSERVE FOUNDATION 6411 NE 217th Pl, Citra 352-595-3377 CronesCradleConserve.org

The conserve is an ecological preserve, retreat center and organic farm. Local fresh produce can be bought at The Farm Store on property, through Farm to Fare weekly Baskets or delivered to your restaurant. The Farm Store is open 7 days a week. Certified kitchen honey house and event space available. See ad, page 24.

JAMES LEMIRE, MD

Lemire Clinic 9401 SW Hwy 200, Suite 301 352-291-9459 LemireClinic.com Dr. Lemire is both Board Certified in Family Practice for 40 years and is an Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) Certified Practitioner. Some of the common protocols Dr. Lemire works with are: Thyroid conditions, Chronic Fatigue, MS, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Leaky Gut, Cancer, Hormone Unbalances, Heavy Metal Toxicity, Inflammatory and Auto Immune Conditions, Lyme Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, and Weight Management. Dr. Lemire sees children and adults. See ad, page 26.

NATURAL MENTAL HEALTH DR. LORA COLEMAN, LCSW

810 E. University, Suite B, Gainesville 305-298-6561 DrLoraColeman@gmail.com DrLoraColeman.com As a Doctor of Natural Health and licensed Clinical Social Worker, Dr. Coleman offers traditional mental health and spiritual counseling. Dr. Coleman’s full Apothecary carries herbs, teas, essential oils, nutritional supplements and education to support natural healing. Dr. Coleman offers Reiki, meditation, Past Life Regression, Chakra Clearing, Theta Healing, crystals, stones and jewelry for healing. Insurance is accepted.

SATURDAY, MAY 31 Bowls, Breath & Balancing - 5-6:30pm. $10-20.

Sound healing and AK Energy Balancing with Ojela Frank. Enjoy the relaxing sounds of singing bowls, bells and a gong, breath and guided meditation.

Bring a yoga mat, snack and bottled water. The Martial Arts Center, 3233 SE Maricamp Rd, Ocala.

352-239-9272.AKHeal.com.

My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return. ~Maya Angelou May 2020

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PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION DRAGON RISES COLLEGE OF ORIENTAL MEDICINE Gainesville, FL 32601 800-606-6685 DragonRises.edu

Our comprehensive 10semester ACAOM-accredited Master ’s degree program enables students to become competent, confident and successful acupuncturists.

Graduates help people achieve genuine healing and their highest sustainable level of health and wellness.

I find hope in the darkest of days and focus in the brightest.

I do not judge the universe.

REIKI DEBI GOLDBEN, RM/T, LMT MA78069/MM37419 13722 SW 40th Circle, Ocala 352-209-0303 DebiGoldben@gmail.com DebiGoldben.com

As a House Healer and Intuitive Spiritual Teacher/Coach, Debi uses a unique blend of techniques and spiritual guidance to clear t h e c l u t t e r. W h e t h e r i t ’s Geopathic Stress or nonbeneficial energies/spirts, Debi can help reduce or eliminate physical and emotional discomfort.

~Dalai Lama

SCHOOL BODHI SANGHA THAI MASSAGE AND SCHOOL OF TRADITIONAL THAI FOLK MEDICINE 813-417-6745 BodhiSangha.com ArielaGrodner@yahoo.com

With the ever-evolving COVID-19 situation causing uncertainty for citizens worldwide, Natural Awakenings is more committed than ever in supporting your health and well-being.

For the latest updates on local events and information, visit us online at:

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North Central FL Edition

Students can advance in their studies of Thai Massage and Tr a d i t i o n a l T h a i F o l k Medicine. Courses offered are; Thai Foot Reflexology, Double Practitioner Thai Massage, and Thai Herbal Bundle Therapeutics. The Bodhi Sangha Shala is a place to grow and learn, to build community, to cultivate mindfulness and compassion, and to deepen one’s studies of the ancient healing art of Thai Massage.

please recycle

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VETERINARY CARE MEDICINE WHEEL VETERINARY SERVICES Shauna Cantwell, DVM Ocala 352-538-3021 ShaunaCantwell.com

Holistic veterinary medicine for small animals and horses. Arthritis, neurologic and hormonal dysfunction, skin, allergies, cancer, pain, immune and chronic disease. Certified veterinary acu-puncture, certified-AVCA animal chiropractic, herbal therapy, tui na medical massage, functional neurology, postural rehabilitation, ozone therapy, homotoxicology and nutrition. Available for workshops. See ad, page 13.

classifieds Fee for classifieds is a minimum charge of $20 for the first 20 words and $1 for each additional word. To place an ad, email Sheila@GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

ADVERTISING ADVERTISE HERE – Are you: hiring, renting property/office space, selling products, offering services, or in need of volunteers? Advertise your personal/business needs in Natural Awakenings classified ads section. To place an ad, email Sheila@GoNaturalAwakenings.com.

FOOD CODES DEVELOP A FOOD PLAN UNIQUE TO YOU USING FOOD CODES–Your subconscious knows which foods are best for you for energy, for weight loss, and to avoid. For more information visit SandraWilsonPositiveChange. com or email EFTSandy@yahoo.com

OPPORTUNITIES START A CAREER YOU CAN BE PASSIONATE ABOUT – Publish your own Natural Awakenings magazine. Home-based business complete with comprehensive training and support system. New franchises are available or purchase a magazine that is currently publishing. Call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com/Franchise.

STEM CELL AFFORDABLE STEM CELL TECHNOLOGY – Anti-aging phototherapy patch that activates your own stem cells! – Contact Dianne Purdie, LifeWave Independent Distributor at 352-598-7319, email DiannePurdielw@gmail. com or visit LifeWave.com/abundanthealth and LiveYounger.cc for more information.

The first combined Anti-Aging, Holistic, and Family Practice Clinic in Central Florida and The Villages

352-750-4333

SERVICES OFFERED:

✦ Peptides ✦ Exosomes: The Next Generation in Regeneration Therapy and Stem Cell Therapy ✦ Amniotic ✦ Adipose ✦ Bone marrow ✦ PRP-platelet Rich Plasma ✦ Prolo Therapy ✦ Prolozone ✦ Neural Therapy ✦ Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy

✦ Chelation and IV Nutrient ✦ Urinary Incontinence ✦ Femlift Vaginal Tightening ✦ Soundwave for ED ✦ Laser Therapy for pain ✦ Spectravision (Full Body Analysis Test) ✦ Nutritional Counseling ✦ Weight Loss ✦ Pulse Magnetic Wave ✦ Antioxidant Evaluation ✦ Mineral Evaluation ✦ Heavy Metal Evaluation

Nelson Kraucak, MD, FAAFP “We are committed to aid and promote the body’s innate mechanisms to heal and achieve homeostasis for optimum health by introducing and using natural approaches with innovative and cutting-edge technology.”

Individual responses may vary

Jaclynn Sola, LMT

MA56771 Over 10 years experience Specializing In: • Raindrop Therapy – • Cupping for Aromatheraphy Pain Relief and utilizing essential oils Lymphatic Drainage • Myo Fascial Release • Sports Massage/ • Deep Tissue Golf Massage • Hot Stone Massage • Cranial Sacral • Body Scrubs/Wraps SpectraVision • Reflexology/Foot • Reiki Master Massage Tuning Forks • Cellulite Reduction • Colonics Massage

On-Site Financing Available

Call to Schedule Your Appointment:

352-750-4333

Karin Panyko

Licensed Aesthetician Over 13 years experience Specializing In: • Micro Derm Abrasion • Spa Facial/Galvanic (tightens and tones cheek muscles) • High Frequency Therapy • Light Therapy • Facial Massage – Deep Tissue My passion is to assist others in achieving their balance with inner and outer beauty.

Gretta Ellis, ARNP

Over 10 years experience Specializing In: • Chronic Disease • Gastro-Intestinal Disorders • Alternative Medicine • SIBO/Leaky Gut • Bio Identical Hormone Replacement - BHT • ER and Internal Medicine Experience

Healing Central Florida, One Stem Cell at a Time!

Healthcare Partners Family Medicine 1501 HWY 441, Suite 1704, The Villages, FL, 32159 www. HealthcarePartnersFL.com Hours: Monday-Thursday: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Friday: 8:00 am to 12:00 pm

May 2020

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Inspired Lifestyle Travel plus: Brain Health

Readers are Seeking These Providers & Services: Transformative Travel Companies • Natural Habitat Adventures • Self-Discovery Vacations Personal Growth Retreats • Adventure Tour Groups • Travel Outfitters Neurologists • Functional Medicine ... and this is just a partial list!

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Beyond Factory Farming

Biological Denstistry

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plus: Environmental Education

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