LWM March2014

MARCH 2014

LIVING WELL MAGAZINE™

HEAL SHAME AND INCREASE YOUR PERSONAL POWER! FIFTY SHADES OF FANTASY: THE REALITY OF BDSM IS TELEVISION MAKING YOU FAT? “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”

PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD HEALTH + HOME + FOOD + WEALTH + STYLE = recycle: share this magazine

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A word from the editors and publishers:

The cover of LWM this month may be giving some mixed messages, with its seemingly tropically inspired / St. Patrick’s Day theme. Because it is a clear reminder of four leaf clovers, ice cold beer and a day of celebrations. Due to the excessive quantity of snow and cold weather the country experienced this winter, we felt the need to beckon spring a little early this year. We may perhaps have a better chance of warmer temperatures than that of a leprechaun randomly appearing at our door with a pot of gold on Saint Patrick’s Day. March reminds me of a poem that we read to our children and they repeatedly memorized when in need of the perfect dialogue for school, or an audition. The poem called, “I Found A FourLeaf Clover” By Jack Prelutsky, (to read the complete poem go to: poetryfoundation.org).

In précis, the poem starts out with high expectations, excitement and the anticipation of grand things to come, this is the believed outcome of such a rare find. Only after a series of unfortunate events, the clover is buried in the middle of a field, vowing that if another were to ever find it -- it would swiftly be given to someone who deserved it even more...my brother.

I suppose that our sons having always been the best of friends that they still get a kick out of the idea of passing the clover off to the other. As we continue to Advertising Inquiries: enjoy reviving the poem from time to time, seeing how much of it we can remember, reciting it together in unison. These are the Brian Strauss -Publisher moments and memories that become embedded into the fabric of our lives forever. Such a silly thing as a shared poem that I Sales@livingwellmagazine.net imagine will continue to be enjoyed by our ever growing family 302-355-0929 and forever cherished.

This issue is packed with an abundance of great articles, as it seems that we have all awakened from our winter hibernation…

Lita Latham - Account Executive ready or not. Enjoy!

Lita@livingwellmagazine.net 302-750-0898

�Brian and Diane Strauss

Kristine Walker - Account Executive Kristine@livingwellmagazine.net 302-893-1921

Editors / Publishers Diane and Brian Strauss Associate Editor: Michael Strauss puppy love™ Creator Sean Strauss Executive Assistant Nick E. Daum Resident Artist and Creator of the Valentino caricature.

Liam McWilliams Design and Graphics Diane Strauss

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Business Opportunities are available: sales@livingwellmagazine.net

VOLUME 9 NUMBER 3

www.livingwellmagazine.net LIVING.WELL MAGAZINE © is a monthly publication distributed regionally. All articles and advertisements are accepted in good faith.

Living Well Magazine assumes no responsibility or liability for any claims, conditions, products, services, errors, and/or opinions expressed through articles and advertisements appearing in this publication. Please check with your primary health care provider before making any changes.

Living Well Magazine welcomes your comments and suggestions. No part of LIVING WELL MAGAZINE™ may be reproduced in any form without permission and written consent. Copyright, All rights reserved. 2012 Various Trademarks Used By Permission Of Their Respective Owners

puppy love™ The perfect chew toy for a Great Dane...a tree. (actually not to worry for the tree or Calvin. The bark sheds off of this tree each season and Calvin pulls it off and spits it out).

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March 2014

LIVING.WELL MAGAZINE (ISSN 2325-2448) published monthly by Savendale Media Group, 1519 Old Coach Road Newark, Delaware 19711 Phone:302-355-0929 Fax:302-454-1867 www.livingwellmagazine.net

Cover:

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Join us on

inside Green Tips & Tricks

“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” by: Karen Verna Carlson

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THROW OUT FIFTY THINGS Karen Jessee

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The Profound Beauty of Not Knowing by: Suzanne Eder

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The Danger Of Inadequate Whiplash Treatment by: Dr. Scott Rosenthal

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Learning to Love the Seasons of Life by: Joe White

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Ask The Vet

by: Dr. Rose Dileva

by: Ann Wilkinson P.T.M.S.

18 LWM The Art of Eating: The Effects of Electronics on Weight: Is Television Making You Fat?

by Nancy Angelini and Tom Dadant

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Sexual Health and Healing: Fifty Shades of Fantasy: The Reality of BDSM with Dianna Palimere, PhD, LCSW

The prestigious Living Well Magazine Tried and True award is given only to products and companies that we have used and can honestly say they were great!

If it has the LWM Tried and True Award on it, we are sure that you will too.

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Style Files: Denise “Taz” Cybak by: dcfine

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Earth Talk: Tar Sands Do we really need the dirty fuel?

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Where’s Valentino?

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foods that have gone from being considered unhealthy to healthy and even essential.

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Put Your Best Foot Forward 11 To Get Your Feet Ready For Summer Fun! Foot and Ankle Associates LLP

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FYI 6

Earth Talk: Global Warming Baloney? What about all the snow?

Movement = Life

by Danny Singles, PT, DPT, MA

for facebook fan giveaways and updates!

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Hands on Health

Heal Shame and Increase Your Personal Power!

by Veronica Monet, ACS, CAM

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March 2014

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FYI

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foods that have gone from being considered unhealthy to healthy and even essential.

Coconut Oil Old: Coconut oil is a saturated-fat New: Unrefined coconut oil offers terrific health benefits.

It is a saturated fat. But the scientific consensus on whether saturated fats are bad for us is changing. Researchers are stressing that saturated fats like coconut oil actually lower bad cholesterol. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which is known for its antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial properties.

Chocolate Old: Chocolate gives you pimples and makes you fat New: Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants. After a few decades on the vilified list, A 2011 Cambridge University study concluded that dark chocolate “probably” lowers stroke rates, coronary heart disease and high blood pressure. A more recent study has found that regular chocolate consumers are often thinner than non-chocolate eaters.

Coffee

Old: Caffeine is bad.

New: Coffee is loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients that improve your health. Plus, a little caffeine makes the world go round.

Several prominent studies conducted unearthed a bounty of benefits. Caffeine boosts energy and it has also been proven to fire up the neurons and make you sharper, with improved memory, reaction time, mood, vigilance and general cognitive function. It can also boost your metabolism, lower your risk of Type II diabetes, protect you from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and lower the risk of Parkinson’s.

Popcorn

Whole Milk

Old: Popcorn is junk food.

Old: High-fat milk lead to obesity.

New: Popcorn is a whole grain and a great source of fiber that is loaded with nutrients. A study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest has concluded that movie theater popcorn has 1,200 calories and 60 grams of the worst kind of saturated fat.

New: A study at Harvard University found that despite recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics that children drink skim or low-fat milk after age two, doing so did not make for leaner or healthier children.

The study found the opposite. Kids who consumed skim milk were likely to be fatter than those who drank it whole milk. Turns out that skim drinkers were more likely to indulge in junk food, which spiked their blood sugar levels, leading to more cravings for junk.

Eggs Old: Eggs clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and early death.

New: Eggs are very nearly the perfect food. An analysis of 17 studies on egg consumption and health discovered that eggs did not contribute to heart disease or stroke in healthy individuals.Eggs raise our good (HDL) cholesterol numbers and change the bad (LDL) cholesterol from small and dense to large and benign. Eggs are also high in iron and protein and two antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthine, which protect against age-related eye disorders like macular degeneration and cataracts. The key is to eat eggs from free-range, happy and healthy chickens, just like in the old days, and avoid eggs that come from sickly, antibiotic-soaked, factory farm hens.

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Microwave popcorn, laden with chemicals, is also bad. But homemade, air-popped (organic?) is the healthiest of all, with only 30 calories per cup. Researchers at the University of Scranton revealed that homemade popcorn has more antioxidants known as polyphenols than fruits and vegetables. Polyphenols have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancers.

Salt Old: Salt kills. It raises blood pressures, causes hypertension and increases the risk of premature death.

New: Salt is essential to health. Too little salt can actually lead to premature death.

Long before it became the numberone evildoer in the Department of Agriculture’s hit list, worse than fats, sugar and booze. It turns out that high-sodium processed “food” is the real villain in our diets. Unrefined salt, such as Himalayan salt or raw sea salts, contain 60 or more valuable trace minerals supporting thyroid function and a faster metabolism. Salt also speeds the elimination of cortisol, the stress hormone that causes weight gain. Salt is also a natural antihistamine (a pinch on the tongue may stem an allergic reaction).

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March 2014

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March 2014

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LWM TRENDS

Alcohol Consumption Healthy?

In moderation?

[ [ If you don’t drink... Don’t start.

However, if you do, there is evidence to support a number of health benefits associated with drinking in moderation. Please be aware that the information we did find, while seeking the truth surrounding the health benefits associated with alcohol consumption is not meant to be a recommendation nor does it constitute medical advice.

A National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism review of research studies from at least 20 countries around the world demonstrate a 20- to 40-percent lower coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence among drinkers compared to nondrinkers.

It asserts that "The totality of evidence on moderate alcohol and CHD supports a judgment of a cause-effect relationship...

There are cardioprotective benefits associated with responsible, moderate alcohol intake."1 Harvard researchers have identified the moderate consumption of alcohol as a proven way to reduce coronary heart disease risk.2 A study of 18,455 males from the Physicians Health Study revealed that those originally consuming one drink per week or less who increased their consumption up to six drinks per week had a 29% reduction in CVD risk compared to those who did not increase their consumption.Men originally consuming 1-6 drinks per week who increased their consumption moderately had an additional 15% decrease in CVD risk.3The Harvard Health Professionals Follow-Up Study of over 44,000 men found moderate alcohol consumption to be associated with a 37% reduction in coronary disease.4 1. Hennekens, C. H. Alcohol and Risk of Coronary Events.

In: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol and the Cardiovascular System. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996.

2. Manson, J. E., et al. The primary prevention of myocardial infarction. The New England Journal of Medicine, 1992, 326(21, 1406-1416.

3. Sesso, H.D., et al. Seven -year changes in alcohol consumption and subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease in men.

Archives of Internal Medicine, 2001, 160, 2505-2612.

4. Rimm, E., et al. Prospective study of alcohol consumption and risk of coronary disease in men. The Lancet. 1991, 338, 464-468.

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www.livingwellmagazine.net

March 2014

— continued on next page

A review of the research reports that moderate drinking appears to reduce the risk of numerous diseases. "These include duodenal ulcer, gallstones, entric infections, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and diabetes mellitus (type II). Compared with abstainers, moderate drinkers exhibit improved mental status characterized by decreased stress and depression, lower absenteeism from work, and decreased dementia (including Alzheimer's disease)."1

— continued from previous page

Medical researchers generally describe moderation as one to three drinks per day. It appears that consuming less than about half a drink per day is associated with only very small health benefits. Four or five drinks may be moderate for large individuals but excessive for small or light people. Because of their generally smaller size and other biological differences, the typical woman should generally consume 25 to 30 percent less than the average man.1 And, of course, recovering alcoholics, those with any adverse reactions to alcohol, and those advised against drinking by their physicians should abstain.

Moderate drinking and exercise appear to slow down the health deterioration that occurs with aging, according to a study of about 2,500 people aged 65 and older who were followed regularly for about eight years. Those who drank and exercised regularly had fewer difficulties with their daily activities and physical functioning.2

1. Mulkamal, K.J., et al. Prospective study of alcohol consumption and risk of dementia in older adults.

Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003 (March 19), 289, 1405-1413.)

The benefits of moderate drinking aren’t limited to the heart. In the Nurses’ Health Study, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and other studies, gallstones 2,3and type 2 diabetes 1, 4, 5 were less likely to occur in moderate drinkers than in nondrinkers. The emphasis here, as elsewhere, is on moderate drinking. In a metaanalysis of 15 original prospective cohort studies that followed 369,862 participants for an average of 12 years, no benefit was observed for heavy drinkers who consumed more than 48 grams of alcohol (the equivalent of four drinks) a day. 1 The social and psychological benefits of alcohol can’t be ignored. A drink before a meal can improve digestion or offer a soothing respite at the end of a stressful day; the occasional drink with friends can be a social tonic. These physical and psychic effects may contribute to health and well-being.

1. Power, C., et al. Goldberg, D. M., et al.

Moderate alcohol consumption: the gentle face of Janus. Clinical Biochemistry, 1999, 32(7), 505-518.

2. Wang, L. et al. Predictors of functional change: a longitudinal study of nondemented people aged 65 and older. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2002, 50(9), 1525-1534.

1. Koppes LL, Dekker JM, Hendriks HF, Bouter LM, Heine RJ. Moderate alcohol consumption lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes: a meta–analysis of prospective observational studies. Diabetes Care. 2005; 28:719–25.

2. Grodstein F, Colditz GA, Hunter DJ, Manson JE, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ. A prospective study of symptomatic gallstones in women: relation with oral contraceptives and other risk factors. Obstet Gynecol.

1994; 84:207–14.

3. Leitzmann MF, Giovannucci EL, Stampfer MJ, et al. Prospective study of alcohol consumption patterns in relation to symptomatic gallstone disease in men.

Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1999; 23:835–41.

4. Conigrave KM, Hu BF, Camargo CA, Jr., Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Rimm EB. A prospective study of drinking patterns in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes among men. Diabetes. 2001; 50:2390–95.

5. Djousse L, Biggs ML, Mukamal KJ, Siscovick DS. Alcohol consumption and type 2 diabetes among older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study. Obesity. (Silver Spring) 2007; 15:1758–65.

www.livingwellmagazine.net

March 2014

Please drink responsibly!

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V W

ALENTINO!

ow! There are thousands of readers who search for Valentino. He is hiding somewhere on the pages of each issue. The entries keep pouring in.

We hope you have had fun looking and will continue your quest to find Valentino. When you find him email us at: info@livingwellmagazine.net [Please type “Valentino” on the subject line].

So here are the ANSWERS of Where’s Valentino!

In January, you can find Valentino on page 7 on the bow of the shoe at Foot and Ankle Associates,LLP. Apparently, all the dancing thru the holidays had his feet seeing stars..

In February, Valentino decided to visit to First State Health and Wellness on page 19, After all the partying he needed an adjustment and noticed that First State Health and Wellness had earned a BBB torch award.

— keep searching and entering the “Where’s Valentino!”

Contest every month for your chance for some great LWM gifts, subscriptions, T-shirts, mugs,cook books,books, videos, etc. —We will be giving away products that were featured in previous issues.

You can also enter on our Facebook page as well www. facebook.com/LWMlivingwellmagazine make sure you like the page first. Please remember to share our page with your friends!

Have you checked out our Pinterest Page yet.. Check it out pinterest.com/livingwellmag Did you know that we also have an online version as well?

This way if you favorite location is out, you do not have to miss an issue! Just go to www.livingwellmagazine.net and on the right side you will see a link to the most current issue. Some of us still like the feel of holding a magazine in your hand, those electronic devices for some just don’t cut it. Now you can buy a print subscription for yourself and your friends! LWM subscriptions makes a great gift!

Only $24.00 per year and you can order it from our website livingwellmagazine.net Every month your friends will remember that you want them to Live Well too!

We know that you’re seeking coffee-based beverages that are big on flavor, high on quality and perfect for your health-conscious lifestyle.

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Caricature created by: Liam McWilliams

Enter: Where’s Valentino Contest Find Answers Here

er 4 0 y rs.

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Home Office Pets Children Elders

“It helps keep our creative juices flowing”. � the LIVING.WELL MAGAZINE Staff 10

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Karen Carlson March 2014

302-777-3964

Put Your Best Foot Forward To Get Your Feet Ready For Summer Fun! For people with toenail fungus, there is never a good time to wear sandals.

to a more serious complication, requiring timely medical care. See your doctor immediately if you suspect nail fungus.

Nail fungus, also called onychomycosis, is a common condition estimated to affect up to 10% of the population worldwide. As the infection advances the nail can become thick, brittle and separate from the nail bed. It can also cause pain when wearing shoes or walking.

Some of the most common symptoms can include discolored nails, yellow streaks under the nail, distorted or thickened nails, brittle, crumbly or ragged nail, nails separated from the underlying skin, buildup of debris (nail fragments, skin) under the nail, and white spots or streaks on the nail surface.

Nail infections are caused by Dermatophytes , which according to the CDC, Dermatophytes are fungi that can cause skin, hair and nail infections. Dermatophytes can live on moist areas of the skin, on environmental surfaces and on household items such as clothing, towels, and bedding. Dermatophytes are specialized organisms that live off keratin which is the main component of nails and skin. Everyone is at risk for infection because the fungus is present everywhere in the environment. There are three common fungi that cause nail infections Trichopython rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Candida albicans.

Sufferers can spend years and hundreds of dollars trying to clear the infection with drugs, topical treatments, and with new advanced technology utilizing a laser. Even though the use of oral drugs can be very effective in eliminating nail infections and restoring clear nails, there are risks of side effects of potential liver damage and heart failure. Using topical drugs is a lot more time consuming because it needs to be applied daily with treatment lasting up to one year.

Common sources of infection include swimming pools, public showers, gyms, yoga studios, karate studios and nail spas. Tight fitting shoes and nail trauma can also lead to infection. Genetic susceptibility, poor health, diabetes, circulation problems, a weakened immune system and increasing age are also factors that increase the risk of nail infection. Fungal infections of the nail can pose serious health risks for people with diabetes and for those with weakened immune systems, such as leukemia, AIDS or organ transplant recipients. If you have diabetes, your blood circulation and the nerve supply to your feet can become impaired. You are also at greater risk for Cellulitis, a potentially serious bacterial skin infection. Therefore, any relatively minor injury to your feet — including a nail fungal infection — can lead

Recently, the FDA has cleared the use of a lasers to treat nail fungus. The treatment takes about 20-30 minutes and it has been found to be safe and effective and can be performed in the office by a doctor.

So get your feet ready for Summer fun and don’t forget the sunblock.

For more information: Foot and Ankle Associates LLP with five convenient offices. Visit www.footandanklellp.com or call 302-652-5767 Sources: footandanklellp.com

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March 2014

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Global Warming Baloney? What about all the snow?

It’s tempting to think that the cold air and snow outside heralds the end of global warming, but don’t rejoice yet. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), weather and climate are two very different beasts: “Weather is what’s happening outside the door right now; today a snowstorm or a thunderstorm is approaching. Climate, on the other hand, is the pattern of weather measured over decades.”

Isolated weather events and even seasonal trends are not an indication of global warming’s existence one way or another, and most climatologists agree that the carbon pollution we have been spewing into the atmosphere for the past century is leading to more frequent and intense storms of every kind and causing greater temperature swings all around the planet. In short, the harsh winter we are having shouldn’t be viewed as a refutation of global warming, but rather as further evidence of a growing problem.

“There is a clear long-term global warming trend, while each individual year does not always show a temperature increase relative to the previous year, and some years show greater changes than others,” reports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The agency chalks up these year-toyear fluctuations to natural processes such as El Niño or volcanic eruptions, but points out that, regardless, the 20 warmest years on record have occurred since 1981, while the 10 warmest were in the past 12 years. And global average temperatures have risen by 1.4°F overall since the early 20th century.

According to Becky Oskin of LiveScience.com, shrinking polar ice caps as a result of global warming in recent decades are one factor that may be contributing to the cold weather in North America this winter. “One way the shrinking ice changes weather is by 12

pushing winter air south,” she reports. “When the stored ocean heat gradually escapes in autumn, it changes the pattern of an atmospheric wind called the polar vortex, streaming frigid Arctic air into North America and Europe.” Meanwhile, a 2012 study by researchers Jennifer Francis and Stephen Vavrus concluded that intense warming in the Arctic has caused changes to the jet stream that regulates air circulation around the planet, potentially leading to stronger winter storms hitting the eastern seaboard of the U.S. And what about all that snow? “Hotter air around the globe causes more moisture to be held in the air than in prior seasons,” reports UCS. “When storms occur, this added moisture can fuel heavier precipitation in the form of more intense rain or snow.” The U.S. is already enduring more intense rain and snowstorms, says the group: “The amount of rain or snow falling in the heaviest one percent of storms has risen nearly 20 percent, averaged nationally—almost three times the rate of increase in total precipitation between 1958 and 2007.” And some regions of the country “have seen as much as a 67 percent increase in the amount of rain or snow falling in the heaviest storms.”

And Oskin points out that while we may be bundling up and shoveling out in the U.S., it’s turned into another scorcher of a summer in the Southern Hemisphere: 2013 was Australia’s hottest year on record, and 2014 has started off even hotter, with temperatures soaring to 125°F and severe fire warnings issued in at least two states there. Apparently global warming is still on.

CONTACTS: UCS, www.ucsusa.org; NOAA, www.noaa.gov; LiveScience.com, www. livescience.com.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com.

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March 2014

Credit: Rainforest Action Network

Tar Sands Do we really need the dirty fuel?

The term “dirty fuels” refers to fuels derived from tar sands, oil shale or liquid coal. Just like their more conventional fossil fuel counterparts such as petroleum and coal, they can be turned into gasoline, diesel and other energy sources that can generate extreme amounts of particulate pollution, carbon emissions and ecosystem destruction during their lifecycles from production to consumption.

“Because tar sands have more sulfur, nitrogen, and metals in them than conventional oil, upgrading and refining them causes a lot more air and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,” reports the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “On a lifecycle basis, extraction all the way through combustion; tar sands cause about 20 percent more global warming pollution than conventional oil,” adds NRDC. “Oil shale and liquid coal are even worse, causing nearly 50 percent more global warming pollution and over double the lifecycle emissions of conventional oil…”

In North America, the majority of such fuels come from Canada’s vast boreal forest, where tens of millions of birds flock each spring to nest. “Tar sands oil development creates open pit mines, habitat fragmentation, toxic waste holding ponds, air and water pollution, upgraders and refineries, and pipelines spreading far beyond the Boreal forest,” reports NRDC. “This development is destroying habitat for waterfowl and songbirds that come from all over the Americas to nest in the Boreal.”

Beyond impacts at the extraction sites, dirty fuels cause pollution problems all down the line. For this reason, environmental leaders are opposed to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline which, if approved and built, would transport tar sands fuels through the Midwestern U.S. to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico.

unable to comply with their air pollution regulations, so dirtier fuel is the last thing they need in their refineries,” adds NRDC. And while dirty fuels may reduce our reliance on foreign oil, they won’t help reduce gas prices as they are so expensive to produce that gas prices would have to be higher than they already are in order for them to be profitable. “They also can’t help with stabilizing gas prices in the case of a disruption to oil shipments because each new tar sands project requires huge infrastructure and capital investments, so it takes years for new tar sands projects to come on-line—it’s not as though there is loads of spare tar sands oil just waiting to be put through the pipelines,” says NRDC’s Elizabeth Shope.

“The fact is, we don’t need these fuels,” she adds. “We can reduce oil consumption by increasing fuel efficiency standards, and greater use of hybrid cars, renewable energy and environmentally sustainable biofuels. What’s called ‘smart growth’—how we design our communities—is also a very important element in meeting our transportation needs.

“North America stands at an energy crossroads and we now face a choice: to set a course for a more sustainable energy future of clean, renewable fuels, or to develop ever-dirtier sources of transportation fuel derived from fossil fuels—at an even greater cost to our health and environment.”

CONTACT: NRDC, www.nrdc.org.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com.

“Refinery communities like Port Arthur, Texas...are already www.livingwellmagazine.net

March 2014

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This image depicts the evolution of humanity from primitive cavemen to upright Homo sapiens to a person controlling their universe, never parting their chair. Here’s an appropriate caption: “Something, somewhere, went dreadfully wrong?”

It’s as if technology has simply made us revert to physically helpless babies, curled up in a reverse fetal position in some grotesque imitation of our birth.

“Movement = Life.” This is where we start. This is not unique to me; on the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) webpage, the APTA describes Physical Therapists (PT’s) as highly trained medical professionals that “understand how the body works and how to get you moving again.” This boils down to “Movement = Life.”

In this article, I will present a few of the negative effects of sedentary behavior (ironic to talk about this as I sit on my couch typing on my iPad with Big Bang Theory playing in the background) as well as the positive effects of movement (ok, full confession here: I am sitting while tapping my feet and marching – it’s driving my fiancée nuts.)

The above APTA description depicts PTs as movement enablers.

Sure, we like to talk in our medical jargon when we describe a patient’s impairments or deficits. But, “so what?” Why bother gaining the last five degrees of range of motion in a stiff knee unless it is to play tennis, surf, walk down the aisle at your daughter’s wedding, push your one year old niece in a stroller, or whatever else you like doing. Doing involves MOVING. I am a movement specialist.

Movement = Life

by Danny Singles, PT, DPT, MA Specializing in movement involves both practical and academic components. It can be easy to get lost in the multitude of details that comprise the human body and forget the beauty that is the system as a whole. Let’s get back to what matters that affects this system, the decreased function that first brought the patient in to see you. Regaining that lost function is the goal of the patient and must be our goal too.

This points towards the essential nature of what I do and how I see my role as a PT; I am a teacher of movement. Yes, we clear up the deficits or impairments that could be limiting factors while respecting the healing process, but really, at the heart of it, it’s always about movement.

This idea took root in a corner of my brain during my Pediatrics class in PT school. We routinely watched minute long clips of infants and toddlers rolling and tumbling. They continually changed positions, sometimes fifty times or more in a single minute. I remember how amazed I was to watch these kids squat, crawl, stand, walk, run, roll, headstand, twist, and play – all effortlessly. Amazing, right? Some of us might ask ourselves the question: “Why can’t I do that anymore? I got old? I’m only 33 and I have never had a serious injury (knock on wood) so that can’t be my excuse.” To paraphrase a former teacher of mine, maybe it isn’t about stopping movement because we get old, maybe it’s that we get old because we stop moving. Babies move, kids move, adults… sit?

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March 2014

As a facilitator of movement, this idea scares me. A loss of movement is a loss of a crucial part of our ability to achieve our potential as independent, productive, and contributing members of society. “Movement = Life.” It is that sedentary behavior that pushes us into the coffin that much sooner, as a result of the many negative effects on the body as a whole.

Some include:

• Stronger immune system (help survive the apocalypse or the common cold) • Increased cardiovascular endurance (don’t get winded taking the stairs at work) •

• Increased overall mortality (Walking Dead zombies aside, we stop moving when we die) • Increased fat production (think Ben Stiller at the end of the movie, Dodgeball) • Decreased muscle tone and strength (the classic “limp glutes and mushy abs syndrome”) • Decreased cardiovascular endurance (how many distance runners are couch potatoes?)

•

Here are just some of the benefits of regular exercise and movement:

Increased risk of cardiovascular diseases

• Decreased mental function (ask my fiancée – I doze off within 20 min of sitting on the couch) Unfortunately, this list is just a few of the effects. As the iGeneration comes of age, we will likely see even more research published on the detrimental effects of sedentary behavior. What’s even more alarming is that current research is beginning to show that sitting for the majority of your time cannot be FULLY counteracted by 30-60 min of daily exercise. Things aren’t all doom and gloom, though. There is hope. So, what can we do about it?We can move and encourage movement. Of course I’d say that (did you really think I’d say anything else?). If you’ve stuck with me to this point, you are obviously interested in this topic (or at least you are a completionist and don’t like to quit now that you’ve read this far).

Increased strength, increased fitness

• Decreased mortality risk from many major diseases and health issues (save lives, save $$$) • Improved regulation of blood pressure, heart rate, sugar levels, sleep cycles, temperature, etc.

• Improved quality of life, mental health, and confidence ( feel better, be better) • this?)

Decreased stress and anxiety (how many of you could use

With the challenges inherent in our modern healthcare system, a miracle drug like exercise should be much more widely utilized. While educating my patients on this is part of my role as a professional healthcare provider, others have also made this point. One of my personal favorites is the video, 23 ½ Hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health? This video explains some of the benefits of exercise as medicine as well as the importance of consistent activity level throughout our daily life (www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo). The American College of Sports Medicine also has initiatives (www. exerciseismedicine.org) that seek to promote exercise as a clinical prescription. Many other people and groups have jumped on board and are working to get us moving. But how do we do it?

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Here are a few suggestions to incorporate more movement into your day:

NATURAL

• Regular appropriate exercise (see above exercise benefits) • Sit on a therapy or exercise ball for seated activities (increased muscle activation, improved posture) or better yet, get a tread-desk •

Take the stairs (no escalators, no elevators)

• Park a little bit farther away (it really is ok to walk 50 extra feet) • Walk 3 laps around the house/office every hour (tell people your PT is making you do it when they look at you funny, they’ll understand) • Drink extra water (extra water = extra walking to bathroom and back) • Take chapter breaks with reading or commercial breaks with TV (stand, walk, hop, balance, etc.)

• Move or exercise with others (make it fun and engaging and people will want to do it) • Set a timer somewhere in your house to go off every hour (it will make you get up to turn it off) • day!)

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Wear an activity monitor (get your 10,000 steps per

These are some of the suggestions I give my patients. They don’t work for everyone, but try them out. So, after a few thousand words, where are we? I believe it is right where we started, hopefully with a different appreciation of it. Movement really does equal life and to paraphrase the recent Runner’s World article, sitting all day should be considered as bad as smoking (www.runnersworld.com/health/sitting-is-the-new-smokingeven-for-runners?page=single). This is where we end.

Now, let’s get up and move.

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Danny Singles, PT, DPT, MA Danny is a sports physical therapist who specializes in manual therapy. His clinical interests include injury prevention, working with sports and orthopedic injuries, pre and post surgical rehab, and working with the pediatric patient population. He attended the University of Delaware for his Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Currently, he works full time as an outpatient sports therapist and provides educational outreach through lectures at local schools and fitness centers. He can be reached at Elite PT in Hockessin, DE at: (302-234-1030) or emailed directly at: dsingles@elitept. com. He can also be followed on Twitter (@MoveEqualsLife) for current updates about health and wellness.

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A Superhero feat in itself, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the most eco-friendly blockbuster in the history of Columbia Pictures.

Environmental efforts on set and support for WWF China’s Earth Hour Blue project make the entire production carbon neutral.

With the help of Earth Angel: Emellie a New York University graduate, and the co-founder of Earth Angel Sustainable Production Services LLC, a successful New York based company that provides sustainable solutions to film and television sets through the use of education, waste reduction strategies, sustainable sourcing initiatives, and carbon tracking. Earth Angel’s work emphasizes the importance of an industry with such a deep impact

on society to commit to progressive practices while encouraging sustainability, on and off screen. Earth Angel’s mission statement: “Bring a unified sustainable practices model to entertainment production. By making sustainability our responsibility, we provide effective, hands-on solutions that enhance crew consciousness, benefit the community, and reduce our impact on the environment”. www.livingwellmagazine.net

March 2014

Spider-Man will be the first superhero ambassador for Earth Hour, the global movement organized by WWF. This year Earth Hour launches Earth Hour Blue, a digital crowd funding and crowd sourcing platform for the planet. The cast of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, and director Marc Webb, want you to be a superhero for the planet. Join them and Use Your Power at: www.earthhour.org

Earth Angel Co-founder, Emellie O’Brien has been exceptionally effective in generating physical results in relationship to carbon reduction and cost savings, and appeal to the interests of big budget studios whose social corporate responsibility platforms are becoming elemental to consumers.

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The Effects of Electronics on Weight: Is Television Making You Fat?

by Nancy Angelini and Tom Dadant Is it possible that electronics could be an underlying cause for the rise of obesity and Type II Diabetes in the American culture?

Though not the sole culprit, the truth is that television, computers, tablets and phones very much contribute to the general decline in aggregate health and weight management. The reason, however, lies far deeper than merely rendering the general population less active. Rather, it has much to do with the colored light emitted from the devices’ screens and the resulting negative impact on sleep. Deficiencies in sleep, in turn, handicap not only the body’s ability to utilize the energy it stores in fat but also has a profound effect on the amount of fat the body will create, fostering the tendency to gain weight.

Universally, sleep is recognized as a necessary component of overall health and vital to the body’s essential functions. Human beings are diurnal creatures, maintaining activity during the daytime hours and garnering rest at night. These are circadian rhythms, tied specifically to the sun’s movements and the angle of exposure to the light emitted by it. As the sun sets, the human

body triggers production of the sleep hormone, melatonin.

The National Sleep Foundation suggests that the average adult requires between seven and nine hours of sleep per night.

The national average is currently reported to be 6.3 hours per night and falling. Six to nine hours of sleep allows an adequate number of sleep cycles to occur, during which the body performs necessary functions such as repairing or building muscle tissue.

Some individuals function optimally on less sleep due to a mutated gene called DEC2. Those carrying the DEC2 gene require as little as six hours of sleep without adverse effect on their body or activities. This, however, is not the norm. Most people do experience adverse effects. Furthermore, this gene mutation is rare; the percentage of people carrying the gene is much lower than the percentage of people who reportedly sleep less than six hours per night.

Deficits breed deficits The adverse effects of sleep deprivation are significant. Without adequate sleep, the brain’s plasticity suffers a decline in overall cognition and memory. People experience a decreased ability to assimilate, categorize, store and then retrieve information. A high correlation between ADHD and sleep deprivation exists, as well. In 2011, a Stanford study noted that sustained sleep — continued on next page

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deficiency may not merely be a symptom of Alzheimer’s and autism-spectrum disorders, but may even contribute to their progression. Likewise, mood is notably affected by a lack of sleep, manifesting most often in stress, anxiety and irritability. Twenty percent of persons diagnosed with insomnia are likely to develop depression. Scientists have observed a correlation between the rise in the population’s incidence of Type II Diabetes and the decline in average hours slept.

of ghrelin (the hunger-driving hormone) increases, which drives a commensurate increase in appetite—appetite, especially for sugary, high carbohydrate foods. At the same time leptin levels decline. Leptin is the hormone that triggers the sensation of satiety. This hormonal imbalance results in radical changes in dietary preferences and overall metabolism. Like melatonin, leptin and ghrelin are tied to light conditions and circadian rhythms.

The relationship of sleep deprivation to obesity is far more interrelated than simply fatigue, rendering the population less active and more sedentary. Sleep deficits have specific and profound impacts on weight management. Without adequate sleep, the body’s ability to burn glucose and ability to use insulin appropriately is suppressed, and the body obtains less energy from the stored glucose, resulting in a physiological drive to consume more food. During deep, stage three, sleep, the liver mobilizes stored energy to rebuild tissues. Even with proper nutrition and healthy exercise, the body simply cannot release stored fat unless it experiences stage-three sleep.

Seeing the light

Additionally, the endocrine system does not operate correctly without adequate sleep. The blood concentrations of leptin and ghrelin, hormones that control the body’s hunger and satiety mechanisms, are altered when sleep is curtailed. The production

The relationship between these hormones and the light conditions that either stimulate or suppress them makes light a critical factor in sleep and weight regulation. This truth is complicated by the fact that screen-carrying electronic devices universally emit the same blue-violet light as the sun. Herein is the connection between electronics and obesity.

Electronics have superficial and obvious effects on weight, not the least of which is causing a decline in activity in the population at large. The American culture has widely adopted a practice of watching television or using other electronic devices as a means to relax before bed in the evening. While this is considered by many to be a relaxing and calming activity, it is not conducive to sleep induction. Rather the contrary: it is stimulating. The images on

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the screen rouse the brain, handicapping sleep. More importantly, however, is the fact that the blue and violet light emitted from those screens actually stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands, and suppresses melatonin production. This is a massive disruption to the body’s natural circadian rhythms as it approximates living in an environment where the sun doesn’t go down until the screen is turned off. Only then can the body produce the melatonin levels necessary for deep, restorative sleep, at which point the hunger and satiety hormones, leptin and ghrelin, will respond accordingly.

Sleep-related stress Deprivation of sleep is a stressor on the human body. Not only does it cause irritability and feelings of stress, it actually taxes the body and all of its systems in order to maintain basic function; that same stress is a major contributing factor in obesity. Though lack of sleep may not register consciously as a stressor, the physiological symptoms of stress are present; stress hormones secret into the bloodstream without conscious awareness. The body supplies its own stimulants in the form of adrenaline when experiencing the symptoms of sleep deficiency. Adrenaline in the bloodstream is the body’s genetically-determined cue for the liver to mobilize energy reserves (glycogen stored in the liver to either “fight” or “take flight” in response to a stressor. In the animal kingdom, adrenaline and the energy reserves are metabolized as prey runs to evade predator. Yet the way the human body experiences stress in today’s culture, the adrenaline and lost energy are never consumed. Today’s fight or flight responses are largely confined to emotional reactions and don’t have correlating physical demands.

As such, the glycogen stores go un-metabolized and result in a spike in sugar. The body has just one place to store excess sugar and hormones: fat. Add the regular, recurrent use of caffeine and other stimulants Americans habitually use to remediate fatigue from inadequate sleep, and a vicious cycle ensues.

Interrupting the cycle Elevating sleep to a higher priority will result in a myriad of health benefits. Ensuring that adequate hours of sleep are available—a minimum of seven and a half—is the first step in developing healthy sleep habits. Melatonin supplements are readily available and can aid some people in inducing sleep. Supplements, however, cannot substitute for behaviors conducive to getting adequate rest.

change may be simple from a philosophical viewpoint, it can be difficult to implement on a practical level due to the demands of a modern schedule, the rise in popularity of e-books and, perhaps most significantly, habit. In lieu of screen-bearing devices, consider audio books, and paper books (read under a full-spectrum light) or other relaxing behaviors such as bathing, journaling or meditation/prayer.

At the end of the day Blaming blue- and violet-light-emitting devices for unwanted pounds would be convenient but not pragmatic. As with all health matters the responsibility lies with the individual to make wise choices for long-term benefit. By disconnecting from electronics of all types at least one hour prior to a reasonable bedtime, the human body will more easily garner the kind of sleep necessary to achieve better brain function, tissue rebuilding and optimal weight management.

About the authors: Nancy Angelini and Thomas Dadant have more than 75 years of combined experience in nutritional supplements, herbal education, and the human microbiome in natural healing practices. They founded the Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medical Studies to provide professionals and the public with reliable, unaffiliated information on products, health and alternative medicine practices.

For more information, please send email to nancya@ICAMstudies. com.

Given the adverse impact of the blue and violet light emitted from electronic screens on melatonin production, curbing usage of those devices at least an hour prior to bedtime is vital to sleep health. This, in turn, will permit the body to make full use of the sleep cycles, including stages in which fat stores are mobilized to rebuild tissue. Furthermore, sleep deficits will no longer stress the body unnecessarily, prohibiting the associated sugar imbalance that results from a perpetual adrenaline flood. Although this 20

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LW M

style files

 What is the one piece of clothing or accessory from your wardrobe that you could not live without?

by:dc fine

One thing I definitely could not live without is my yoga pants. That’s everyday wear for me. I used to work in the corporate world and I don’t miss having to dress up at all. I still have all those clothes in my closet ready for any occasion. So let’s just say my closet is full of essentials…LoL!

Denise “Taz” Cybak



What is the one piece of clothing or accessory you wish you owned, but would never buy yourself?

If I were willing to spend $200 on a single pair of shoes or boots, I would probably run out and a buy a pair of knit UGG boots.

 Does a designer name mean anything to you? If so, who are your favorite designers?

When I do go shopping, I don’t look for a specific designer or label. I do like White House Black Market; their clothes seems to fit my petite frame perfectly. with Stephen Karnai

Denise Cybak lives in Wilmington, DE where she was born and raised. She works at Performance Physical Therapy in Hockessin as a licensed massage therapist and also teaches kickboxing class at Jack’s Kickboxing Gym in Newark, three days a week. She has two children, a daughter who is 21 and a son who is turning 5 this month.

Summertime is her absolute favorite time of year.

When she is not working, she is working out at the gym or by the pool.

 Do you look for a bargain or is price not an issue if you love it?

I occasionally splurge on something if I absolutely love it.



What are your favorite local and online shopping spots?

I always check the clearance racks and have gotten some really good deals at Kohl’s, just recently as a matter of fact. I don’t usually buy items online because I really have to try everything on.



What wardrobe essentials do you think are vital to pull off the perfect look for you?



How would you define your own sense of style, and how it exemplifies your personality?

I’m always on the go and rarely ever just sit down and relax, so my clothing have to move with me.



Vanity, comfort or both?

Comfort first!

 Is your wardrobe based on current fashion trends? Are you comfortable sporting your own style, regardless of what is “in style” at the time?

I have a very petite frame and have to take the time to find clothing that is not only comfortable but that fits well and looks good. My choices have to be comfortable and functional. www.livingwellmagazine.net

Saturday night is “date night” for my boyfriend and I so I’ll put on a nice pair of jeans and a sweater with my boots.

I’m still comfortable but stylish as well.

 What is the best piece of style advice you would like to share with our readers?

A great pair of shoes or boots is always recommended. For the winter season a stylish pair of boots and a stylish belt can pull almost any outfit together. In the summer it’s all about the sandals, I go for comfort and cuteness! Last time I went to DSW �I think I bought 4 pairs of shoes! I couldn’t resist ….they were all on clearance. 

March 2014

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The Profound Beauty of Not Knowing

By Suzanne Eder

I’m having one of those moments. A moment of complete blankness, at a time when I want to experience an abundant flow of inspired creativity. I could call it writer’s block – which I’ve written about before – yet it feels somehow different.

As I set aside the frustration of not being inspired when I think I “should” be inspired, this blankness feels somehow… purifying. Clean. Restorative. Loving.

Setting aside the judgment that I should feel inspired is key to this experience. It calls me more deeply into the present moment and the gifts that await me here.

I’m reminded, suddenly yet gently, of an experience I had just a week ago. I was coming out of a period of unexpected challenges and feeling depleted, offbalance and more than a little sad and worried. I wanted so much to feel better.

22

For weeks I had done all I knew to do – all the things I would have coached a client to do – to soothe myself, get the support I needed and nudge my vibration toward one of peace, clarity and optimism. And over that time I was feeling better and better…yet not as good as I wanted to feel.

I just didn’t feel like “me.”

I had come to the edge of all that I knew, and did not know what else I could do.

I simply did not know.

And so I sat. I sat still. I sat still in the “not knowing.” I let myself feel how it felt to literally not know what was real or true for me or what to do next. I was aware of how much my identity had been wrapped up for years in being the one who knows things. And for once, that awareness was simply present. In a state of Grace, I didn’t www.livingwellmagazine.net

March 2014

judge myself for not knowing. I didn’t judge myself for thinking I should know, or for thinking that I shouldn’t. There was no judgment at all.

There was simply – nothing. The nothingness of not knowing.

A simple mantra arose in my mind for just a moment – “I let go of all that I know” – which repeated itself a few times and then faded into the nothingness from which it had arisen. In some impossible way the nothingness became even more pure. I felt nothing, I thought nothing, and there was absolute perfection in that experience. I wanted to stay “there” as long as I could.

At some point the phone rang and I chose to answer it. I returned to the many “somethings” of daily life and went about my day, slowly and mindfully. I was aware — continued on next page

— continued from previous page

of an inner spaciousness that felt deeply calming. And I was aware, too, of how essential my journey to nothingness had been to reclaiming a true sense of self. Beyond all the mental constructs of who I thought I should be, and what I thought I should know, I sat in what many spiritual traditions call the Void - a non-physical dimension of pure nothingness from which all creation arises.

In that state of unlimited potential we have access to levels of awareness that transcend our usual ideas of who we are and what kind of life is possible for us.

And so as this long winter draws to a close, pause once more to go even more deeply within. Dare to walk naked into the Void, letting go of all you think you are and all you think you know.

Let yourself be nourished and expanded into a whole new level of awareness. You are magnificent, and your potential for creativity and fulfillment is unlimited.

In renewal and celebration

Although I’ve had similar experiences of “going to the Void” in past meditations, this one felt different. A wholly new level of surrender had preceded it, and the experience lives with me still.

Although I cannot put into words all that I gained from it, I can say that letting go of what I knew was both humbling and completely liberating. To literally not know opens me to exploration and lets me off the hook for having to get things “right.” What a relief.

When I first sat down to write this column, my initial plan was to write about the upcoming season of spring and all of the renewal, growth and promise that it holds. Yet all I confronted was blankness…which led me to share with you the experience I had last week. And I realize now the perfection of allowing this moment to unfold just as it did. May this article be a loving reminder to all of us that our willingness to let go of all that we know, and to sit in the Void of pure being, is a profound act of renewal, growth and promise.

�Suzanne Suzanne Eder is award-winning writer, teacher and transformational life coach, Suzanne Eder started her professional career as a CPA and enjoyed a highly successful corporate career in both Finance and Human Resources. She is a graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing’s intensive four-year program in mind-body-spirit healing, and is a former fitness instructor who taught aerobics, body sculpting and yoga for 16 years. She has also been initiated in Divine Openings, an extraordinary evolutionary process which powerfully supports clients in awakening to their magnificence. Through her writing, classes and workshops she offers inspired and practical counsel in all areas related to personal growth and transformation. Suzanne can be reached at see@mysolidground.com or (302)888-2138.

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Heal Shame and Increase Your Personal Power!

by Veronica Monet, ACS, CAM

Healing shame is a vital step toward realizing your full potential and can have many unexpected benefits.. For instance, if you are less controlled by feelings of shame, you may have more energy and enthusiasm to explore your creativity, find your passion, realize your purpose, and find fulfillment.

I create a profoundly shame free experience for my clients in part, because I’ve had a long, personal history with shame. It’s been an intense journey which continues to unfold to this day.

The process of healing shame is, for me, on-going. But it does get easier.

There was a time when the shame itself evoked feelings of shame. Now I greet my shame with love and acceptance, with a tenderness akin to parental love. But that didn’t come automatically. I had to work for it.

As a child, I was not encouraged to love myself. My parents did love me but that love was compromised by their own shame. When people don’t love themselves, when they find aspects of themselves so objectionable that they deny their existence, there is a tendency to project that shame and self-hatred onto others. I was routinely the object of

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that projection and its infliction left deep wounds in my psyche.

My mother was afraid of her own dark memories, preferring to repress the trauma of incest, rather than deal with her grief and rage. Instead, she preached a gendered shame which blamed women for anything men might do to them. When she incurred injuries from my father’s violent temper, she blamed herself for not being a more submissive wife.

My father lived in constant fear of being cowardly or ineffectual. This was how he viewed his father, and his life was a reaction against those perceived weaknesses. In an effort to ensure he was not seen as weak, my father became an imposing tyrant who insisted that his wife and daughters live in fear of him.

My father rarely missed an opportunity to www.livingwellmagazine.net

March 2014

humiliate us. His verbal attacks became a lethal assault on my personhood. He was also physically and sexually abusive. But somehow he still saw himself as a loving father. My father was obviously in denial.

Denial may make a difficult situation temporarily more tolerable, but it prevents us from connecting with the truth or finding authentic responses to reality. It perpetuates shame, and dooms us to repeat dysfunctional patterns passed down from previous generations.

Family secrets are like threads which when pulled unravel the fabric of everything you think you know about the people who share your DNA. As I came out of my own denial, I became aware that there was rampant sexual and physical abuse on both sides of my family. Because of this, my origins have also been a source of shame for me.

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My family of origin was deeply dysfunctional, but this did not occur in a vacuum. We were members of a conservative Christian cult which enforced a plethora of prohibitions while requiring that we dress and behave differently than “the world.” I was homeschooled and lived in isolation, removed from the culture . By the time I left home to attend college, I felt like an alien from another planet. Fortunately, I possessed extremely adaptive social skills so I fit in very well, but I lived in fear that my friends might discover my strange past and reject me.

As soon as I left home, I began breaking every rule I had been forced to obey. I dressed provocatively and began smoking, drinking and taking drugs. I indulged in sex with various partners. I continued to give my academic success precedence, however, as that was something my father disapproved of. He didn’t want me to attend college because I was “just going to get married and have babies anyway. “ So as an act of rebellion, I made the honor

roll.

Our parents may have the best of intentions when they try to redirect our behavior to something they deem more socially acceptable, but unfortunately, the message many of us take away is that we are not okay the way we are. Many of us have been encouraged to “act polite,” to “say nothing if you can’t say something nice,” to “behave like a gentleman” and to “act like a lady.” Rarely have we been admonished to “share how you really feel” and to “feel free to disagree if you see things differently.”

Raised this way, it is difficult not to absorb the message that our thoughts and feelings are not welcome in this world.

Most cultures, place a high premium on conformity. And since our very survival is dependent upon membership in the group, we work hard to sublimate our true selves in favor of “fitting in” and “getting along.”

Fear of being ridiculed, ostracized, scapegoated or otherwise dealt with in a manner which is prejudicial, unfair and even lifewww.livingwellmagazine.net

March 2014

threatening, keeps most of us confined to societal expectations. It takes personal strength to choose thoughts, feelings and behaviors which are not condoned by the majority.

Formost of us, it isn’t until we reach a crisis in our emotional or physical health, that we find the incentive to move past our fears and locate the courage to stand up for our true thoughts and feelings no matter how different those may be from what we are told we should think and feel.

Although my childhood presented many obvious forms of abuse, your childhood need not have been traumatic for you to suffer from shame. Most people suffer from some sort of shame, even if that shame does not lead to debilitating coping mechanisms. The absence of crippling dysfunction does not mean shame is harmless. Shame erodes self-esteem, compromises our ability to achieve and creates an additional stressor on our mental and physical health.

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Although not everyone agrees on definitions, it is important to identify shame and distinguish it from guilt. I believe that shame attacks who you are, while guilt warns you that something you have done is not working for you. This definition is also preferred by recognized shame expert, Brené Brown, Ph.D. who shares in her interview with Judith Stadtman Tucker in “Motherhood, Shame and Society” for The Mothers Movement Online: In the simplest terms, shame is about who we are, not what we’ve done. Unlike the paralyzing effects of shame, guilt often prompts us to make amends or change our behavior. Feeling guilty doesn’t produce the same feelings of being trapped, powerless and isolated.

While guilt can play an important role in our lives, shame is always destructive. If we lie or steal, guilt can guide us toward more pro-social behaviors. As social creatures,

it is important that humans operate with a conscience and guilt plays an important role in that. But shame attacks how we feel about ourselves.

Shame is experienced as a core defect confirming that we are not worthy of love or forgiveness; that we can never measure up or be enough. Shame attacks who are.

There is a profound difference in not only how we feel with shame or guilt, but how the two emotions cause us to behave.

For instance, if you feel guilty about something you might be more inclined to search out ways to make amends or balance the inequity your actions have created. But if you feel ashamed, you are more likely to indulge in self-pity, withdraw Did or seek Shame causes yousympathy. know that up to 75% us to shrink energetically while guilt can women report some difficulty actually motivate and expand our energy. functioning?

Being dishonest or keeping a lot of secrets can be an obstacle to healing shame. After all, we are “only as sick as our secrets.” I began healing my shame when I first got sober. In the twelve step groups I attended, I learned that keeping secrets would lead inevitably to getting drunk again, so I practiced rigorous honesty in order to dispel my shame and protect my sobriety.

Participating in twelve step groups gave me one of the most important tools I acquired for healing shame: making amends. At first, the idea of “making amends” sounded like I was blaming myself for what was done to and I feared it would only lead to more ofme,American guilt shame than ever. But that is not with and sexual what is intended by “making amends,” and that is not what happened.

Shame separates us and condemns us to living in emotional isolation. We may be Early in my journey of recovery, I was for Didbyyou know and that meaningful in the UnitedtheStates, an truly getting in touch with surrounded people first time estimated 30 million American men suffer from — continued on next page some degree of Erectile Dysfunction?

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relationships, yet because of shame, we tend to hide some key aspects of ourselves from others - even the people we love.

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March 2014

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the fact that I was not to blame for being molested by my father. I had to work hard to feel my anger and outrage. . But it was worth it, because moving into my anger was healthy.

But now in twelve step groups I was being asked to inventory “my part.” Was I being asked to accept “the blame” for my own victimization? If that were the case, I would have eliminated twelve step groups from my support system. But in practice, “making amends” ended up creating a sense of empowerment for me.

Before I could even consider my amends, I had to get in touch with how horrible the abuse was, and to know without a doubt that I did not deserve to be abused. By getting in touch with my anger over what was done to me, and at the same letting go of my fear and my defenses, I was free to explore whether I had in any way behaved in a negative way. I explored my deepest motivations.

Was there any part of me that wished my father harm? Did I bring hate or negativity into our interaction?

your creativity. It’s important that you find a safe person to share the events which have created shame for you. When you experience understanding and empathy from a safe support person, your shame will begin to heal.

Brené Brown developed “the Shame Resilience Continuum” which asserts that shame is bolstered by blame, while the antidote to shame is empathy.

I couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen empathy work miracles in my own life, and in the lives of countless other people. As an Empathy Expert, I am deeply grateful to facilitate the healing of shame for my clients. It is an incredible gift as well as a sacred privilege.

Of course, even if I did, that does NOT mean I am to blame for the abuse my father perpetrated. But acknowledging where I felt guilty about my behavior or my mind set allowed me to begin to free myself from shame. I became better able to separate the various factors so that I felt even less responsible for my abuse than I did before I claimed “my part.” As I became less identified with what was done to me, I became better able to experience myself as innocent because I had examined all my motivations and no longer felt burdened by the impulse to hide from the truth.

In this way, the truth really did set me free.

Perhaps most importantly, I learned to make amends to myself �for the ways in which I abandoned myself including blaming myself for what was done to me.

While it may sound silly, my experience of making amends to myself has given me a greater sense of connection to and respect for myself. I feel less fear and have more empathy for me, which helps to heal my shame.

This process is entirely counter-intuitive, and flies in the face of our natural response to shame which is to run and hide. Doing an inventory on the shameful event or fact can reveal how we blame ourselves. Making amends to ourselves can be freeing. Finding that thing which we wish we had done differently, can empower us in ways which are uniquely transformative..

Feeling compassion for yourself, allows you to realize how unjust attacks on your innocence and your individuality are., As your shame is replaced by compassion for yourself, you’ll find that you have more genuine compassion and empathy for others.

Shame is a heavy burden to carry through life. It can weigh on your heart and mind, diminish your sense of worth, and cripple www.livingwellmagazine.net

Veronica Monet, ACS, CAM: Author, Couples Consultant and Radio Host Veronica Monet’s perspective on sex, anger and relationships may challenge your old beliefs but you are sure to find her insights uniquely helpful to your personal life. Veronica is a highly visible spokesperson for sexual rights and has appeared on every major network as well as CNN, FOX, CNBC, WE, A&E and international television programs. She has been profiled in many publications including The New York Times and has lectured at a variety of academic venues including Kent State, Stanford and Yale Universities. As a Certified Sexologist (ACS), Certified Sex Educator (SFSI), Certified Anger Management Specialist (CAM), and a Trained Volunteer for the Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (CARDV) Veronica Monet coaches clients over the telephone and in-person at her Northern California office. You are invited to contact her at veronica@TheShameFreeZone.com, call toll free at 888.903.0050 and listen to her online radio program, The Shame Free Zone, at http://www.sextalkradionetwork.com March 2014

29

Q:

How can I tell if my dog has a bladder infection? I have a 3 year old Maltese mix that my family rescued last year from a puppy mill.

A:

First, let me commend you and your family for rescuing a dog from a puppy mill. You did a most wonderful thing.

The urinary system is a complex system of organs consisting of the kidneys, ureter, urinary bladder and urethra. Together they filter toxins from the blood and produce, store and eliminate urine from the body. Most typically, urinary tract infections occur when there is bacterial contamination that enters the body through the urethra and travels to the urinary bladder. Many pet owners will say that they noticed a pink or reddish tint to the urine. Some have even noticed the blood in the urine when their pet urinates in the snow or on the floor. Sometimes dogs may have accidents in the house and cats may urinate outside the littler box. One may also notice an increased frequency in urination. Also, one might notice that not as much urine is coming out when they do urinate. Some pets will also lick at their genital area as a result of the irritation that a urinary tract infection can cause. Some dogs are at a higher risk of getting a urinary tract infection. Females, for example, are at higher risk because of their anatomy. The urethra of the female is shorter and closer to the anus than in male dogs.

Some female dogs have an anatomy problem where there is excess skin over the vulva resulting in a higher incidence of urinary tract infections. Dogs that have uroliths (bladder stones) or bladder tumors can be more prone to urinary tract infections. Kidney disease, diabetes and Cushing’s disease (hyperadrenocortisism) can all make the bladder more susceptible to infection.

If you suspect that something is wrong with your dog, you should take her to your veterinarian so they can perform a few tests. The best way to diagnose a urinary tract infection is to run a urinalysis. This will provide information about the urine’s pH, specific gravity (concentration), as well as, determining the presence of white blood cells, red blood cells, protein, glucose, bilirubin, urobilinogen, nitrites, ketones and bacteria. A culture and sensitivity test should 30

be done on the urine to determine what kind of bacteria is present and what antibiotic will take care of the problem.

Most antibiotic courses run one to two weeks. Dogs that get recurrent infections may require much longer course of treatment. I often recommend the addition of cranberry to the diet. Solid Gold puts out a product called Berry Balance, which contains cranberry powder and Vitamin C. It helps acidify the urine, as well as, preventing the bacteria from adhering to the lining of the bladder. I also recommend adding moisture to the diet. Consequently, switching to a moist diet instead of dry kibble can be helpful. Always provide plenty of clean, fresh water to your dog. Never withhold water from your pet for any reason. Increased water consumption can be indicative of other medical problems such as diabetes or kidney disease.

Q:

W hat are some spices I can give my pet? I’ve heard parsley is alright but I wanted to make sure.

A:

As I have said before, whole foods are important in the health of your pet. Your pet receives the benefits of fresh vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Parsley is one of the richest sources

of vitamin C. It also contains vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5, D, E,

chlorophyll, calcium, folic acid, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, silica and zinc. Parsley is a strong antioxidant that helps eliminate toxins from the body. It is also an immune system booster. Parsley aids in asthma and arthritis. It improves digestion and benefits the kidney and urinary tract. Parsley is safe to give to both dogs and cats in moderation.

One other spice that both dogs and cats can have is dill.

Traditionally, dill has been used to improve digestive system problems. In Ancient China, dill was thought to benefit the stomach, spleen and kidney. In Ethiopia, it is chewed to help with headaches. Dill contains calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, zinc, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin A and C, folate, beta-carotene, amino acids and fiber. Dill may benefit in cases of appetite loss, flatulence, intestinal spasms, gallbladder issues, liver problems, painful urination, difficult urination, colds, coughs, bronchitis and sleep disorders. More studies need to be done.

Dr. Rose DiLeva is a 1987 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s school of veterinary medicine. She practices alternative and conventional veterinary medicine. Dr. DiLeva is a certified veterinary acupuncturist and a certified veterinary chiropractitioner. She can be reached at her Animal Wellness Center in Chadds Ford, Pa at 610-558-1616 for appointments and telephone consultations. Her web site is www.altpetdoc.com and www.drrosesremedies.com

www.livingwellmagazine.net

March 2014

HANDS ON HEALTH by: Ann Wilkinson P.T.M.S,

Q:

I have been having reocurring pain in both of my shoulders. Pain alternates from one side to the other and also my neck. Why does the pain move?

A:

If the pain is coming from a specific ligament or tendon, the capsule surrounding the joint or the joint itself, the pain would be in the same general area and definetely the same side

consistently. When someone complains of pain in the shoulder, it is very important to evaluate the neck. However, when a patient says pain alternates with the neck there is something very specific that is likely happening. When a disc is irritated, pain is at the neck, when irritation becomes more intense causing compression of the nerve root that is exiting near the disc symtoms are felt far away from the neck. The pain will appear in the area that the nerve root supplying input to; the arm. So when the neck becomes less inflammed symptoms are felt right where the problem is, in the neck. This is called centralization. When the neck becomes more inflammed symptoms are felt farther away; in the arm. This is called radicular or radiating symptoms.

What you describe may be caused by poor posture or tightness in the tissue lining the front of the vertebrae called the anterior cervical fascia. This tissue gets damaged in whiplash situations.

Whiplash occurs in car accidents, falls or when someone catches themselves in a fall. This type injury with resultant tightness in the tissue in the front of the neck, creates a forward head posture. Both poor posture and tight anterior cervical fascia are situations cause a shearing force at cervical vertbrae 7 on thoracic vertebrae 1. Cervical vertebrae 4,5 and 6 then become compressed. Turning your head, looking down at the cell phone texting, reading or doing computer work all stress this misalignment. Inflammation results.

Releasing the very specific tissues that are tight, strenthening musculature that has been overstretched and decompressing the vertebrae allow good posture to be a possibility. Good posture restores alignment. Proper alignment insures the discs and nerve roots are free of irritation, compression and inflammation.

Symptoms will move out of the arms and may become more pronounced at the origin in the nexk before full recovery. Finally symptoms leave the neck as long as postural muscles remain strong and coordinates doing there job to keep the vertebral column erect and free for painfree motion.

Q:

I have been practicing Yogic breathing techniques. There is one, forcing the exhale using the abdominal muscles. After my last session, while eating I got a cramp that won’t go away but no other GI symptoms. What happened?

A:

It sounds like you may be having either a spasm of the respiratory diaphragm ( a dome shaped sheet of muscle that separates the lungs from the abdomen; responsible for bringing air into

the lungs) or the closely related abdominal muscles. There actually could be an active trigger point in either that can cause the symptoms you describe. Releasing the respiratory diaphragm as well as the abdominal muscles may require only one or two treatments to resolve. The sooner you fascially release a trigger point to the initial occurance, the less treatments required for resolution. The Yogic breath work is great exercise. Strains can be experienced with exercise. It is likely you sprained an associated muscle.

www.livingwellmagazine.net

Ann is an award winning writer,teacher and speaker. Ann is the personal body worker of Her Holiness “Sai Maa”. Ann practices osteopathic physical therapy and has helped thousands of patients.

Ann is also an expert on the use of healing foods, homeopathic and herbal consultations, and therapeutic horseback riding. Ann treats her patients in a beautiful country setting which enables her to utilize all of her learned skills as well as some of the healing properties that only Mother Earth can bestow .Ann is available by appointment and can be reached 302-656-7882. The farm is also available for birthday parties, women’s circles, and retreats.

March 2014

31

Fifty Shades of Fantasy: The Reality of BDSM

Like most erotic romance novels, the book Fifty Shades of Grey is based on quite a bit of fantasy.

For example, the lead male character Christian Grey, is a 27-year-old multi-billionaire who falls in love with 21-year-old virgin, Anastasia Steele; the lead female character. Is this possible?

Sure, anything is possible. Is it more likely to be a complete fantasy? Absolutely. The wealthy handsome man who falls in love with the young, beautiful virgin is fairly common in most romance novelsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and Disney stories, now that I think about it. However, this book wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t your typical romance novel. This book opened

up the minds of millions to the idea of romance within a sadomasochistic relationship. Not only had it hit #1 on New York Times Bestseller list, but it also was the fastest selling paperback of all time (breaking the record previous set by the Harry Potter series). While there have certainly been many, many books previously written and published in the same genre, none have become as mainstream as Fifty Shades. This has been a long time coming, and kudos to E L James for writing an erotic romance novel about dominance and submission, that became so widely accepted and read by so many. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; continued on next page

32

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March 2014

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That being said…I worry that individuals that have no knowledge of BDSM (an acronym that is the combination of Bondage & Discipline and Sadism & Masochism) may read this book and think that it reflects what these relationships are like, in reality. First of all, there are so many different types of relationships in the world of BDSM that I could easily write an article on that topic alone (and perhaps I will!).

These relationships range from strangers playing in a club, to friends who casually play on weekends, to more exclusive dominance and submission relationships, and even absolute ownership (typically referred to as Master/slave). First and foremost, Fifty Shades is a love story. The reality of most BDSM relationships is not that pretty. While I fully admit that I only read book 1, what I did read involved very light BDSM (and perhaps that’s why it was so widely accepted). Nevertheless, the book had some hits and some misses, which I’d like to help clarify, for people who don’t know much about the BDSM lifestyle.

The Hits: The couples that I’ve worked with do in fact have A LOT of communication about interests, limits, and hard limits, before engaging in activities with one another. Limits are boundaries which are set ahead of time between the Dominant and the submissive. Sometimes these are discussed verbally, and sometimes they are written down and entered into a more formal agreement or contract. At times, a Dominant may try to test the bounds of a limit, and the submissive may use a predetermined “safe-words” if it’s causing unacceptable discomfort. Some common examples are: yellow = slow down and red = stop; and in fact, EL James uses these exact “safe-words” in the contract that the handsome Christian Grey gives to sweet Anastasia Steele to read and sign, before entering into a D/s (Dominant/ submissive) relationship with him.

The use of a formally written Contract or Agreement is also widely used and accepted as common practice in the BDSM lifestyle. Some may contract with a partner for a chosen period of time (I believe Christian’s was originally a month, but then extended it to three months in the formal contract, if my memory is correct).

Open and honest communication is a common expectation, from both parties at all times. When it comes to communication about sexual thoughts and feelings, the kinky couples I’ve worked with have all others beat, hands down (pun not intended!). There is so much that vanilla (non-kinky) couples could learn from them. Just imagine what it might be like, if at the beginning of every relationship, along with career goals, interests, hobbies, etc., if all couples had open and honest conversations about what they hoped and/ or expected from a potential partner in the bedroom? The attention to detail in the contract in Fifty Shades is fairly accurate in comparison to the Contracts I’ve seen between couples that I’ve worked with, more or less. Given that the example in the book is approximately 11 pages long, people are generally surprised to hear that from me. There is a tremendous amount of time and effort that goes into the contracts or agreements. The result is very clear, open, honest communication about sexual practices.

Finally, the roles of the Dominant and submissive, as written by E L James, were fairly accurate. Multiple times in the book, Anastasia (the submissive) is reminded that she actually has the power in their relationship, as she determines the limits.

She is not a victim of the Dominants wants and desires. In the real world, the submissive partner obeys because they choose to. The submissive is therefore empowering the dominant by the decision to submit to them. This “consensual empowerment” is also called a “power exchange.” Again, there are a variety of levels of power exchange in the BDSM

lifestyle; E L James is simply portraying one version.

The Misses: I’m not going to spend time a lot of time beating up the author on the poor literary quality of the book. In my opinion, the book is poorly written. Most readers will know this within the first few pages. If you kept on reading, you just had to accept that EL James is no Agatha Christie or Sylvia Plath—and move on. I do admit that, at times, the writing was so poorly executed that it distracted me from the story.

Moving on…

At the top of my list of “misses” are the character’s back stories, first and foremost: our male protagonist. Christian Grey is portrayed as a man who lost his virginity at age 15 to an adult friend of his mother’s; and who has a dark and troubled past, including severe physical abuse as a child, and violent mood swings as an adolescent.

Sigh…in the field of mental health, we have FINALLY gotten to the place where our newest Diagnostic Manual for Mental Disorders has qualified sadism and masochism as acts including “nonconsenting persons” and/or where these sexual urges cause “clinically significant distress or impairment” in important areas of functioning (e.g.- work, school, etc.).

In the past, anyone engaging in BDSM would be considered to have mental health issues. I really wish that the author had not portrayed our male protagonist with such a troubled back story, as it seems to reinforce widely accepted stereotypes that persons involved in BDSM have a mental illness and/or a history of childhood abuse. In all of the research that I’ve read on BDSM, the percentages of persons in the studies with a history of mental illness and/or childhood abuse mimic the same percentages we see in our general population. This research is also reinforced by what I’ve seen in my practice; with the couples I’ve worked with who are in the BDSM lifestyle. The majority had happy childhoods, and come — continued on next page

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March 2014

33

Yoga for Chronic Pain With: Ellyn Hutton BSN, RN Coming back to Certified in Mind / Body 6 Week Special Series Wilmington!

Medicine Holistic Nursing Mondays 10:00 am Massage & Yoga Mahan Rishi Singh Khalsa April 7 to May 12 for a Co-teaching Event with Ellyn Gentle Yoga, All classes held at: Change your Mind Change your Life

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— continued from previous page

from loving families.

The female protagonist is a naïve, 21-year-old virgin, about to graduate from college. Again, I feel this perpetuates the stereotype that individuals, who are involved in a BDSM lifestyle as submissive, are naïve, being taken advantage of, weak, etc. To the contrary, the majority of submissives that I’ve encountered have tended to be people in high power positions at their jobs, who like to “give up control” in the bedroom. In fact, in the past eight years as a sex therapist, I would say that I typically see couples in D/s relationships where the submissive is a CEO, a high level executive, Lawyer, Doctor, etc. In jobs that demand so much responsibility and decision-making, I’m told that it’s “freeing” to give that all up for a few hours when they get home at night. Conversely, many of the Dominants that I’ve worked with were Nurses, Musicians, Artists—generally people with regular, middle class jobs. Sure, there are some that fit the stereotypes portrayed in the book, but I have to say that more often than not, they do not.

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or so that are never even mentioned. Then again, I feel confident in surmising that that’s why Fifty Shades hit #1 on the Bestsellers List, while other BDSM erotica has not.

Until next time, have fun and keep an open mind!

Finally, I’d like to address what I like to call the story’s level of BDSM; which I generally refer to as “BDSM light.” In my early days, I once asked a couple involved in the BDSM lifestyle to bring me a “Limits List” so I could better understand what was and was not included in their personal lifestyle. My client emailed me an Excel spreadsheet that had at least 300 acts listed, with a point system for the submissive to circle from 1-5; 1 being “love it,” 3 being “would try it” and 5 being a “hard limit.” In Fifty Shades, the author mentions approximately 15 or so acts that are hard limits, and approximately 35 activities/sexual acts that are within the limits. Again, I only read the first book in the series; however, I am quite certain that the BDSM scenes that I did read never even came close to involving all 35 of those activities, let alone the 250 34

Meditation and more...

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Sexual Health and Healing with Dianna Palimere, PhD, LCSW Dr. Dianna Palimere is a Psychosexual Therapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has been in the field of mental health for the past 12 years, dedicating the past seven years to specializing in clinical sexuality. She holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology, a Masters degree in Social Work, a Masters degree in Human Sexuality Education, and a PhD in Clinical Human Sexuality. Utilizing a holistic approach to therapy, she incorporates a variety of clinical interventions in her work with individuals, couples, and families.

She is devoted to helping people achieve sexual health and healing through her work as a psychotherapist in her private practice in Pike Creek, DE; as well as in her work with local nonprofit organizations. To learn more about her or to schedule an appointment, visit her website: www.SexTherapyInDelaware.com or email her directly at: dr.palimere@sextherapyindelaware.com Join us on Facebook, keywords: Sex Therapy in Delaware.

March 2014

Learning to Love the Seasons of Life

By Joe White

Life is like the seasons. It is ever changing, ever moving towards what is next and away from what was. No matter how much you enjoy the summer, a winter is on the horizon and even the coldest of winters carries the promise of warmer days. Every season serves us regardless of how “good” it may feel. Understanding what season you are in and what to do in each season is essential to your growth and fulfillment. Getting stuck in a season or using the skills designed for fall in the winter time comes at high price.

We either get stuck in winter and feel as if it will never change or we seemingly get blindsided time after time. We must learn how to navigate the seasons of our lives in order to take control of our lives.

W

inter

Ok, winter may not be our most favorite, but winter is invaluable. We have all been in winter and we will return there again. It is as much a part of the process as night is to day. It is the season of endings and death. Death may sound morbid but I assure you it is needed. Winter is the season in which life resets itself. Nothing can begin anew until something ends. We may not care if the leaves on a tree turn brown and fall off, but when it’s something we are holding on to that we must let go, it is often a different story. We often feel torn in letting go so that something can end, because winter is often a purging period and it comes with a level of hesitation. We often know we need to let go... Let go of a relationship, a career, a path, the way that you thought it should be, but we would rather hold on to pain then to be without. We have all been there, knowing that we must let go, but emotionally holding on.

though the season around us is changing. If we feel like it is winter, than we will experience winter.

T

he Gift of Winter

Winter gives us a unique opportunity to rebuild, to examine, to plan and prepare. Winter also allows us to connect with those we love and rebuild our relationships. We must understand the gift of winter because winter can be where your greatest growth begins. It is where we can find our strength and honor. Yes, we may feel a bit humbled. Humility often gifts us with vision free from ego and fear. The truth is, it may not feel good, but it is essential for growth. We must grow so we don’t stay in winter or find ourselves fighting the same battles over and over again. New winters can bring new challenges and new opportunities and that is growth.

We have a choice to either fight winter or align with winter. We can not avoid it. Knowing what to do in winter is invaluable. You do not plant seeds in the winter, but you can sharpen your tools.

Winter is the process of letting go so that what is new can grow. It may not feel good but it is needed so that the renewal and promise of the rebirth of spring can occur.

Till next time I wish you love and passion. Live Free!

T

he Pain

It is easy to stay focused on the discomfort or the pain that is associated with winter. Letting go and endings do not always occur without a fight. When we focus on what we don’t have or what is gone, it prolongs winter. It keeps us stuck in winter even www.livingwellmagazine.net

Joe White is the President and founder of Get Life Coaching. Get Life Coaching is the leader in personal and professional development since 1999. Joe recently earned the most Prestigious Award : 2012 Entrepreneur of the year. Joe can be contacted at: 302-832-3424, or email him at: doitnow@ getlifecoaching.com or check out: facebook.com/getlifecoaching Follow Joe on @getlifecoaching March 2014

35

Throw Out Fifty Things by Gail Blanke

T

Book review by Karen Jessee:

here were three good reasons for me not to buy this book. First, I didn’t like the title. In ten years as a professional organizer, I have yet to do business by the numbers.

Secondly, I own and have read most of the books on organizing and third, I don’t like the term “throw out.” Either people love it and should keep it or they should let someone else love it.

But then I heard Gail Blanke being interviewed on National Public Radio. I tuned in to the middle of a conversation about why European women have closets that look different from those of American women. Europeans spend the money for something that has been made well. They own more expensive but fewer items, all of which have been chosen to create specific outfits.

Americans look for a sale. They buy for no particular reason other than it’s their size and less expensive than before. Shoppers in Europe have a sartorial purpose and seek quality; shoppers in America seek bargains and quantity.

Anyone with this much wisdom and insight deserved to be read; I bought the book.

Gail Blanke is a life coach, and world-class motivator. She put Avon on the map, was a former columnist for Real Simple magazine, has spoken nationally and internationally about empowering both executive men and women, and achieved the ultimate social and business endorsement: Oprah.

If you need someone to get you through the clutter, whether it’s 36

physical, personal, emotional, spiritual or mental, you definitely want Gail by your side. Better than most authors at guiding and mentoring, she will get you through it all. The first thing you will learn is that you are far from alone in this endeavor to simplify your life, be lighter, feel freer and to finally move on with less baggage.

Others have also suffered from mental blocks, procrastination and just too much stuff.

But first, let’s take a look at those numbers. You’re not going to get off easy just counting individual pieces: that pile of seventy magazines counts as one. Those crates of family dishes, all 120 pieces of them that no one wants, count as one. Those fifteen boxes of old games and puzzles with the missing pieces count as one. I gasped as well. Gail goes by category. But you can do this because Gail is doing this. Gail is taking you on her personal journey through her life and her house and she is inviting you to cruise along with her. You do the work together.

For the first half of the book, Gail will take you through her own bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and basement, even the attic, while sharing wonderful stories about clients she has helped along the way with her life coaching. She’ll get you through old clothes and old makeup, that kitchen drawer (you know the one) and the stuffed cabinets below and then interject a story about a client or professionals in the field that will leave you laughing, horrified, or applauding.

For those who want to go green, Gail has great advice about alternatives to the garbage can, so the title isn’t quite as harsh as

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What may be best, however, is the second half of the book. Just when you thought this was all about your messy office, Gail will do what she does best: make you take a look at yourself and begin to look at the clutter there. She’ll help you break through the stereotypes and labels you held onto about yourself since you were a teen, awkward family member, frustrated employee or questionable spouse. She’ll get you through the mistakes of your past, your regrets, and the names people stuck on you along the way.

How do I know?

I’m doing this.

Throw Out Fifty Things is a workbook, and Gail was so inspiring that I thought if my clients ever believed I was just a talking head about all this downsizing business, then why not put Gail by MY side and share my story with my clients.

Christiana 302-918-6335 Hockessin 302-239-1600 Newark 302-454-1200 Rehoboth Beach 302-645-6681 Wilmington 302-654-4001

All these changes may not happen in a month or even two, but I have already put a lot of gears in motion over here that hopefully will be making a difference. They have to; I’m answering to you now.

Karen Jessee is a professional organizer and founder of Simply Organized. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and the Philadelphia Chapter of Professional Organizers. She encourages people to simplify their lives and works with those who need to downsize and get organized.

Karen helps clients make the decisions and create the systems that are best for them. She also teaches the strategies to help clients gain greater clarity, control, productivity and peace.

Karen is a public speaker on these topics. Visit her website at: www.nowsimplyorganized.com www.livingwellmagazine.net

March 2014

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Gail has plenty of stories of those who were able to reinvent themselves. She has all the statistics on how many famous people missed the shot, were tossed out of the audition, or were told they’d never make it. They made it. It didn’t happen over night and it, like everything else, required work, but they made it. So all that work you’re willing to do on yourself and all those changes you’re making in your life…they go on the scorecard along with the stuff and things in the house that are no longer you.

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you might think. And at the end of each chapter? A score card.

That’s right. Remember the title of the book? She’s counting along the way and she hopes you’re doing the same. She’s put down her count and has given you plenty of room to put down yours.

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— continued from previous page

37

Green Tips & Tricks

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“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose” “Plus ca change plus c’est la meme chose” is an epigram by Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in the January 1849 issue of his journal “The Wasps”. It literally means ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’. Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr was a French critic, journalist, and novelist.

N

o matter what ‘s happening weather wise at this moment, rising temperatures and lengthening days confirm to me that spring is inevitable. The weight of winter weariness is lightened by my present time observations of the first snow drop blossoms.

I also celebrate the appearance of today’s little green nubs peeking from the ground, which become tomorrow’s kaleidoscopic crocuses, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, irises and peonies.

Rhododendron branches too high for the deer to graze are plumping up their buds for this year’s magenta pink extravaganza.

Songbirds serenade me into wakefulness each morning like those endearing opening scenes of Walt Disney’s Cinderella.

Focus Rather than Fantasize Ahhhh, change feels soooo good right now, after dreary weeks of shoveling snow, chipping ice, and sawing the grandfather pine tree that keeled over my driveway. I admit to spending an inordinate amount of time fantasizing about the flower and food delights soon to manifest. So, to keep myself in the present moment, I’m taking this opportunity to consider what’s happening around me in Nature is also happening within me—an amazing biodance of change.

Change Is the Only Constant Changes (the renewal, replacement, recycling, and turn-over) are constantly occurring in my body, atom by atom, molecule by molecule, cell by cell, hour after hour, every minute, every second, day and night, whether I am awake or asleep. It is indeed paradoxical that change may be the only constant aspect of our 38

bodies! And bodily changes are something to celebrate for supporting both longevity and quality of life. Because they occur microscopically they only seem subtler than the macrocosmic spring spectacles that are so sensually captivating.

All Life Biodances Larry Dossey, M.D. states in his book, Space, Time and Medicine, “Biodance — the endless exchange of the elements of living things with the earth itself — proceeds silently, giving us no hint that it is happening. It is a dervish dance, animated and purposeful and disciplined; and it is a dance in which every living organism participates.

R ates of Change Vary “Each body structure has its own rate of reformation: the lining of the stomach renews itself in a week; our skin is entirely replaced in a month; the liver is regenerated in six weeks. Some tissue is relatively resistant to the constant turnover, such as the supporting tissue called collagen and the iron in the blood’s hemoglobin molecules. But even though these rates of replacement differ, after five years one can presume that the entire body is renewed, even to the very last atom.”

Atoms Come and Go Do you have any idea how many atoms there are in your body?

Science estimates there are about 1028. That is one followed by 28 zeros — 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. One billion has nine zeros, so 1028 is a humongous number. Dossey cites scientific research using radioisotopes to trace chemicals entering and leaving the body. Every year 98 percent of your body’s atoms are replaced.

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Genes Dissolve and Renew

Enthusiastic Gratitude

“ These observations simply defy any definition of a static and fixed body. Even our genes, our claim to biological individuality, constantly dissolve and are renewed. We are in a persistent equilibrium with the earth.

S ince our bodies respond to acknowledgement—just like people, pets and plants—why not direct some of your seasonal enthusiasm to celebrating what you now know to be going on within your very own cells? I speak praise to my wonderful eyes for seeing so well as I pluck those stray brow hairs. I vocalize gratitude for my bones and muscles as they walk me through clean-up tasks in the yard.

I thank my teeth and tongue and stomach for working so well to release flavor and nutrients from wholesome foods. With all the enthusiasm I feel seeing the bright splash of a bluebird in flight, I marvel at my amazing hands as they massage a client’s back.

“ We renew our physical body just as we regrow hair and nails.

We are on the move. Five years ago we didn’t exist, all our atoms having been replaced in the interval. Here today, completely gone in five years, renewed down to the last single atom, we endure only in the shape, form, and pattern that are assured by our genetic blueprint,” Dossey states.

Continual Streaming and Reshuffling

Patient Testimonial

“ Our insistence on seeing ourselves as genetically unchanging individuals, even for our own lifetime, ... turns out to be an illusion.

For genes are made of DNA, the basic component of all genes, and the life span of DNA in the body is brief. A single DNA molecule is short-lived, existing only for a few months. Our restless genes are continually renewing themselves, exchanging bits and pieces for replacement parts. A continual streaming and reshuffling goes on so that over a period of months our entire genetic structure is renewed. To put it another way, nothing in our genes today was present in them a year ago, having been totally renewed in the interval.”

I invite you to feel excited, animated, ebullient about spring and about your body’s ongoing renewal.

Karen Verna Carlson, N.D., Ph.D. (Hon.) is a naturopathic physician and professor credited with “the first major breakthrough in Swedish Massage—research demonstrating energetic interconnections”—since Peter Ling systemized it in the early 19th century. After 35 years running her own nationally accredited school of holistic healing and massage she has retired to provide a new kind of holistic care for individuals and families. In addition to her specialties of healing massage and bodywork, she provides sensitive, time- and cost-effective services that include child-, pet- and elder-care, green housecleaning and auto detailing, decluttering and reorganizing, garden care, and academic tutoring for elementary, middle and high school students.

She has received international recognition for holistic healing and educational work, an honorary degree, silver medal, and Who’s Who listing. She’s appeared on TV and radio and has been featured in professional publications and mass media. kvc@livingwellmagazine.net Phone (302) 777-3964

"After a motor vehicle accident and 9 surgeries, I had been in pain for 20 years. I have a faulty electrical stimulation implant and I would use more than a month of my pain meds in two weeks before meeting Ann. After the first treatment, I felt pain relief for the first time. After 3 treatments, I no longer need my cane. Now 7 treatments in, no pain medications! My brain and skin feel so much clearer and I am so much healthier already. �S.Y.

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March 2014

39

The Danger of Inadequate Whiplash Treatment

By Dr. Scott E. Rosenthal

Blink your eyes. How long did it take? In about the same amount of time––one-tenth of second––the rapid jolt of your head in one direction then another during an auto accident can ravage the delicate tissues of your neck. Known as “whiplash,” this injury commonly occurs during a rear-end collision. People are often left with myriad symptoms that may include pain in the neck and/or lower back, immobility, headaches, dizziness, difficulty swallowing, blurred vision and sensations running into the arms and hands.

Whiplash is one of the most complex and potentially long-lasting injuries seen. Pills and exercises alone as treatment often fall short. Waiting and seeing what happens is risky and can allow the injury to take up permanent residence! Recovery is possible, but requires a clear understanding of the injuries and a comprehensive approach utilizing a combination of therapies and techniques.

At the time of impact, the neck turns into an “S” shape and is then thrown completely back into a full extension. This would be fine if you are a Flamingo, but not so great for a human with the normal neck shape of a “C.” Such high-speed contortion easily damages muscles, ligaments between the bones, joint capsules and intervertebral discs.

Some whiplash injuries can be invisible to standard examination procedures and may prematurely lead practitioners to stop care and label patients as “normal.” Damage to the trapezius muscles, which run from the base of the skull out to your shoulders and down the mid back, is one such example. Extensive shoulder work on my whiplash patients is often necessary, even when no symptoms were felt in the shoulder region. A 2012 study in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine confirms and documents how the damage to the trapezius muscles can contribute to the suffering experienced by patients.1 Don’t be fooled by the appearance of your car!

Even minor injuries with little to no vehicle damage can cause injuries to your neck. After 20 years in practice, I am still surprised when a patient’s condition is downplayed by an inexperienced 1. J R Soc Med Sh Rep August 2012 vol 3 no 8 57 40

insurance adjuster. Research has found that vehicle speed and degree of damage to the car are not reliable indicators of injury to the passenger.2 It has also been found that injury to the neck may occur after a rear-end collision at speeds as low as two miles per hour.3 But I went to the Emergency Room!

ER doctors are fantastic at sewing people back together and making sure their life is not immediately threatened. The ER is not designed to evaluate the long-term needs of a motor vehicle accident victim. To complicate matters, patients typically enter the emergency department within a few hours following the incident when the full clinical presentation is yet to be revealed. Symptoms may be absent and cause a person to appear less injured. Neck pain starts within 6 hours in 65% of patients, within 24 hours in 28% of patients, and within 72 hours in 7% of patients.4 Although medication may be necessary at times to manage pain, it should be approached with caution. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) published “CDC Grand Rounds: Prescription Drug Overdoses — a U.S. Epidemic” on January 13, 2012. The CDC study revealed:

■ In 2007, approximately 27,000 unintentional drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States. That’s one death every 19 minutes.

■ Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States.

■ The two main populations in the United States at risk for prescription drug overdose are the approximately 9 million persons who report long-term medical use of opioids, and the roughly 5 million persons who report non-medical use (ie., use without a prescription or medical need) in the past month.

With more than 6,000,000 car accidents each year in the U.S., millions of the injured are introduced to prescription drugs 2. Teasell RW, McCain. 1992 3. Emori R. 1990 4.Deans et al 1987

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like Oxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin or other opioid analgesics of choice––and for a portion of them, drug side-effects and/or the start of an addiction. The drug-free approach in chiropractic can help patients avoid such perils. It’s always a joyous moment when a patient reaches a point in his or her healing process when pain medication is no longer needed. Even better, many under chiropractic care never require drugs in the first place!

The formula I have found to be the most successful starts with a comprehensive consultation and examination. X-rays and/or other imaging such as MRI may be necessary. Then I focus on each of the following steps:

1. Evaluate and correct the alignment and mobility of the spinal and pelvic bones.

6. Utilize rehabilitative exercise to help muscles strengthen and heal correctly.

7. If scarring exists, perform release techniques in order to reduce the functional deficits scar tissue creates.

Inadequate treatment can bring about chronic consequences and years of suffering. Don’t ignore the condition with inaction or relying only on a pill bottle! By recognizing and understanding the complexities presented in a whiplash injury, needed treatment can be received and odds of a full recovery increased. Act promptly!

The sooner you receive care after the accident, the better. Keep in mind: your chance of a healthier future is far harder to replace than any car!

Dr. Scott E. Rosenthal is a second-generation Doctor of Chiropractic and a past president of the Delaware Chiropractic Society. His undergraduate degree is in Nutrition and he is a Certified Yoga Teacher. In his Wilmington practice, he offers the cutting-edge Koren Specific Technique (KST) as well as other contemporary and traditional approaches. KST comfortably integrates gentle adjustments of the spine, cranial bones, TMJ, arms and legs (including the wrists and feet). Dr. Rosenthal specializes in pain relief, auto or work injury recovery and natural ways to boost whole body wellness. To contact Dr. Rosenthal please visit rosenthalchiropractic.com or 302-999-0633.

2. Check the bones of the skull for fixations (including the jaw).

3. Analyze and adjust problems of the collar bones, shoulder blades, shoulder sockets and arms.

4. Treat all of the muscles and tendons that reveal injury (especially where they attach to the skull, collar bones and shoulder blades).

5. Correct distortions in the myofascia (bands and sheaths of connective tissues involving muscles).

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Recipes:

M arch M adness

Antipasto Squares 2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 1/2 pound thinly sliced imported ham 1/2 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese 1/2 pound thinly sliced Mozzarella 1/2 pound thinly sliced Genoa salami

Lemon Braised Artichokes

1/2 pound thinly sliced cappacolla

Ingredients

1/4 pound thinly sliced pepperoni sausage

1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 1 tsp fresh rosemary, thyme, or dill 5 cloves garlic, smashed Salt and pepper 3 artichokes Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium Dutch oven, combine the oil, lemon juice, onion, fresh herbs, garlic, Ÿ cup water, 1 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper Trim the top and bottom of each artichoke. Using scissors, snip the tip off each leaf. Cut the artichokes into quarters and scoop out the fuzzy chokes.

Toss the artichokes in the oil mixture. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Divide among individual plates and spoon the cooking liquid over the top.

42

1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained, cut into thin strips 3 eggs 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).

Unroll one package of crescent roll dough, and cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Layer the ham, cappacolla ,provolone cheese, salami, pepperoni, and red peppers, on top of the dough.

Put Mozzarella on top.

Grilled Bacon

In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly, and stir in the parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes Pour 3/4 of this mixture over the peppers. Unroll the second package of dough, and place over the top of the peppers. Brush with the remaining egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.

12 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove foil, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, or until dough is fluffy and golden brown. Cut into squares. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Jalapeno Wraps A great pickup food that is easy to make and fun to serve!

2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese *24 slices bacon Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Spread cream cheese to fill jalapeno halves. Wrap with bacon.

Secure with a toothpick.

Optional: side of tomato sauce for dipping

Place on the grill, and cook until bacon is crispy.

*Also a healthier version can be made using a vegan cheese product instead of the mozzarella cheese or use a skim milk mozzarella rather than whole milk and use low carb soft flour tortillas instead of crescent rolls.

*Turkey or vegetarian bacon can be used. If using a vegetarian product, you might want to chop it and place on top rather than wrap, as it is often not pliable.

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March 2014

One-Pot Salmon With Snap Peas and Rice 1 cup brown rice 1 pound salmon fillet, skin removed Kosher salt and pepper 8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed 1/4 cup soy sauce

Roasted Chicken with Spring Vegetables

4 scallions, chopped 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon grated ginger

Ingredients

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

4 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix the rice and 2 cups water in a medium skillet. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes.

1 lemon, halved 4 cloves of garlic chopped 1 teaspoon smoke Paprika

Meanwhile, slice the salmon on a diagonal into four 他-inchthick pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound fingerling or other small potatoes 2 bunches radishes

After the rice has cooked for 12 minutes, place the salmon on top. Cover and cook 7 minutes more.

1 bunch scallions

Scatter the peas over the salmon and rice. Cover and cook until the rice and peas are tender and the salmon is opaque and beginning to flake, approx 4 - 8 minutes

1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary chopped

1 bunch baby carrots 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper, garlic, fresh rosemary,paprika then place skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet.

Squeeze 1/2 lemon over the chicken and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast 15 minutes.

Mix the soy sauce, scallions, vinegar, ginger, and sugar in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce over the salmon, rice, and peas.

Meanwhile, cut the potatoes and radishes in half and cut the scallions into thirds. Toss the potatoes, radishes, carrots and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Remove the chicken from the oven and scatter the vegetables around it. Continue to roast until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is golden and cooked through, about 20 more minutes. Squeeze the remaining 1/2 lemon over the chicken and vegetables. Top with the dill and season with salt. www.livingwellmagazine.net

March 2014

43

Grow a Nutritious Garden in a Pot

by Melinda Myers

Don’t let a lack of time or space get in the way of gardening your way to a healthy lifestyle. Plant a container of nutritious vegetables and herbs. Include a few planters on the front porch, back patio or right outside the kitchen door.All that’s needed is some potting mix, fertilizer, plants and a container with drainage holes. A fifteen to twenty-four inch diameter pot or twenty-four to thirty-six inch long window box is a good starting size. Bigger containers hold more plants and moisture longer, so it can be watered less frequently.

Check containers daily and water thoroughly as needed. Selfwatering pots need less frequent watering, allowing busy gardeners and travelers the opportunity to grow plants in pots with minimal care. Fill the container with a well-drained potting mix. Read the label on the container mix bag. Add a slow release organic nitrogen fertilizer, like Milorganite (milorganite. com), at planting for better results with less effort. It provides small amounts of nutrients throughout most of the season and eliminates the need to mix and water in fertilizer throughout the growing season. Sprinkle a bit more on the soil surface midseason or when changing out your plantings.

with purple basil, tri-color sage, carrots, beets and a colorful trailing annual like verbena, lantana, or bidens. Don’t forget to squeeze in a few onions or garlic. The fragrant foliage can be decorative and these vegetables help lower blood sugar and cholesterol, while aiding in digestion.

So be creative and add a few small-scale, attractive vegetables high in nutritional value to a variety of containers this season.

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment segments. Myers is also a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers’ web site, www. melindamyers.com, offers gardening videos and tips.

Mix colorful flowers with nutritious vegetables for attractive, healthy results. Bright Lights Swiss Chard, pansies (their flowers are edible), colorful leaf lettuce, spinach, radishes, and trailing ivy make a great cool season combination. Fresh-from-thecontainer-garden vegetables make the best tasting salads and the greens provide Vitamins A and C as well as calcium. Use the pansy flowers to dress up a salad or frozen in ice cubes for an added gourmet touch to beverages.

For summer, use a tomato, pepper, eggplant or peas, beans, and cucumbers trained on a trellis. All are packed full of nutrients and make a great vertical accent. Surround the towering vegetables 44

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March 2014

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Jurdy Green

by Jenifer Jurden.

Jurdy focuses on engaging humans worldwide on the topic of green and helping them to “get grinning, get greening.” See Jurdy now at two websites!: www.jurdygreen.com and www.jurdy.com

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George D. Moutsatsos, M.D., FACC March 2014

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