Feb 2021

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HEALTHY

LIVING

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SPECIAL EDITION

HEARTCENTERED LIVING

BEST FOODS FOR A HEART-HEALTHY DIET

HEARTFELT EATING

BECOMING

HEART-MINDED

LIVE & LOVE NJ

February 2021 | Hudson County Edition | NAHudson.com

February 2021

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Key Foods offers a wide variety of healthy and organic products for you, your family and your pets. Items ranging from organic bath and body products to gluten- and dairy-free items to traditional grocery items and brands, to so much more!

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

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his month, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we focus on the heart. It’s not just the center of our physical being, the organ that pumps and keeps us alive, but it’s also the center of our spiritual and emotional beings. Over centuries, the heart has become a metaphor for myriad emotions: love, passion, loss, grief, compassion, strength, empathy. People sing about it, write poems about it, create jewelry about it, and any story with a heart-centered theme is bound to go viral. In both the physical and spiritual senses, we need to keep our hearts healthy.

From the physical perspective, a healthy heart is vital for us to survive and thrive. And we’re learning that traditional medicine does not provide the best solutions for improving heart health. Often medication is thought of as the only answer, but current research shows that natural, preventive approaches are the most powerful medicine. We do not have to be products of our genetics; we can take control of our heart health by eating better, exercising, using supplements and taking deliberate measures to lower our stress levels. I know. I’m a product of poor cardiovascular genetics, and over the last several months I’ve been taking these steps to improve my heart health and beat the genetic odds.

Our compelling feature article, “Live a Heart Healthy Lifestyle”—recommended reading for everyone—points out that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. It explains how good nutrition, social and emotional well-being and the right supplements can move you toward a healthier heart. While it’s important to consult with your physician along your wellness journey, it’s equally important to seek spiritual and emotional guidance as well. Our physical makeup is intertwined with our mental and emotional makeup.

Through self-care, mindfulness, practicing gratitude and releasing stress and negative emotions, we can help keep our emotional and physical hearts strong and healthy.

This month we have a wonderful spotlight article on Green Pear Café in Hoboken (with a newer sister restaurant in Jersey City Heights). Green Pear is a perfect example of how a small local business becomes the heart of a community—it’s been lovingly imbued with a magical heart and soul by its owner. Read all about its creation and journey over the last five years and about the amazing woman at the helm, Isabella Molnar.

I hope you enjoy reading our many heart-centered articles this month and that you celebrate the beauty of your own special heart.

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Publisher@NAHudson.com

Natural Awakenings is a family of 50+ healthy living magazines celebrating 26 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

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Contents 13 LIVE AND LOVE NJ 14 LIVE A HEART-HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

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Integrative Cardiologists on Preventing Heart Disease

18 SAYING 'I DO' TO THE PLANET

Green Weddings Embrace Sustainability

20 JOIE DE VIVRE, GREEN

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PEAR STYLE

A magical taste of Old-World Europe in Hoboken and Jersey City

22 TOOLS FOR INNER PEACE Exploring Mindfulness and Meditation

25 SHEFALI TSABARY on Conscious Relationships

26 HEARTFELT EATING

Best Foods for a Heart-Healthy Diet

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How to Get Kids to Eat Better

30 BECOMING

HEART-MINDED

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DEPARTMENTS 6 news briefs 8 health briefs 10 global briefs 12 eco tip 18 green living 20 community

spotlight 22 healing ways

25 wise words 26 conscious

eating 28 healthy kids 30 inspiration 31 calendar 33 resource guide February 2021

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news briefs

NamaStay Sobruary Challenge

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amaStay Sober is holding their 4th annual Sobruary (Sober February) Challenge.

Whether someone is already in recovery, sobercurious or just looking to swap a misused habit for something healthy like meditation or yoga, NamaStay has resources that can help. Whatever wellness journey you are on in life and wherever you find yourself on that journey, NamaStay invites you to participate in the Sobruary Challenge alongside their community this year.

NamaStay Sober is a nonprofit organization founded in 2015 by Nico Longo after the loss of a friend to opioid addiction. Based in Massachusetts with community chapters in other states, their mission is to aid those in recovery by reconnecting their bodies and minds through affordable yoga, fitness, meditation and wellness focused community events.

“It is difficult to put into words how grateful I am for @namastaysober. In its infancy, NamaStay provided solace in a time when I was grieving the loss of a dear friend to addiction. Over time, it developed into a place where I felt safe to share about my own struggles with an eating disorder. Eventually, it led me to discover a community of like-minded individuals that support one another through healthier outlets, such as yoga and meditation, so that we all may live a life of more freedom, self-expression and peace.” says Longo “In essence, that is what this year’s Sobruary Challenge is all about supporting each other in discovering what we put in the space that sobriety creates.”

For more information on NamaStay Sober, their Sobruary Challenge with expanded virtual programming, visit NamaStaySober.com or contact info@namastaysober.com.

The more important an activity is to your soul’s evolution, the more resistance you will feel to it—the fear you will feel. ~Steven Pressfield

DrLMSteinberg.com • BiologicalDentistsOfNJ.com

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Eco Serein: Small Steps to Big Change

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ike most people who end up doing big things, Diana Spinka and Sanja Zugic, founders of Eco Serein, started out small. They began changing the world by changing their own habits—going vegan, giving up plastics and single-use items, and reusing rather than buying new.

Then in 2019, they organized their first two beach cleanups and had a moment of realization, Spinka says.

“We saw a beautiful seagull unable to walk because his legs were tangled in a piece of rope,” she recalls. “And we thought, We don’t have to be superheroes to make this world a better place. Small steps are enough for a start. Since then we’ve collected more than 4,000 pounds of trash and organized big cleanups in Europe and the USA, as well as spent a few hours every week cleaning local beaches and parks by ourselves.”

They founded Eco Serein to provide people with alternatives to plastics.

“Our goal is to decrease the use of plastic and to show people that we can limit the amount of it on a regular basis,” Spinka says.

Their latest green product is a bamboo toothbrush with a travel case, to replace the 3.5 billion plastic toothbrushes sold each year worldwide.

“These end up in landfills, polluting our air, land and waters,” Spinka says. “Using a bamboo toothbrush reduces your carbon footprint, making the earth a better place.”

For more information, visit EcoSerein.com.

Mama Strength Classes Offered Saturdays

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ama Strength Created

by Erin Livingston will present a Mama Online Workout Class, Saturdays from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. through April 24.

“This online class is for all my mamas or soon-tobe-mamas,” Livingston says.

“We will focus on stretches, breathing exercises and strengthening that will cater to your body. All levels are welcome.”

Props needed are a chair, eight-to-ten-pound weights, a mat and a ball or pillow. A Zoom link will be emailed at the time of booking. Use the link to sign in at the start of class.

Mama Strength Created by Erin Livingston serves Hudson County for in-person training, in-home and outdoors.

Cost: $15. To register or for more information, visit MamaStrength.com.

‘(R)evolutionary Love’ Class Promotes Healing

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editation and yoga teacher LaurieG will lead a livestream class, (R) evolutionary Love: Self-Compassion and Care in Challenging Times, from 2 to 4 p.m. on February 14.

“This deeply nourishing, insightful and healing practice was created to support you in showing up more wholeheartedly in the space of your relations—beginning with yourself, spirit and center,” she says. “It’s been a rough go of it for many of us. In the past year we have endured heartbreak, loss, grief and countless falling offs, and we are longing for connection—just getting through the day can feel like a lot. Can we do so loving ourselves through it? Love for ourselves is foundational.”

The class will include breathwork, contemplation, mantra, meditation, slow-flowing movement and Yoga Nidra.

One of LaurieG’s first teachers, Erich Schiffmann, suggests that at the heart of practice is opening ourselves so we may simply be “the space through which love flows.”

“We will listen inwardly for a deeper understanding of the ways in which we have abandoned ourselves and otherwise inhibited the flow of love—and call the whole of ourselves home to relax like a wave, back into the ocean of the boundless love available to us,” LaurieG says. “You will emerge feeling the love, deeply relaxed and inspired, with your cup filled to pour from.”

Cost: $25. For more information, call 201-683-4002 or visit UrbanSoulsYoga.com.

Restaurant Week Helps Jersey City Businesses

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e need to support our local restaurants now more than ever, and Jersey City Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to do it. More than 100 restaurants will be offering lunch or dinner options as part of the event, which runs from January 26 through February 9.

Among the participating businesses are Hard Grove, the Ashford, Six26 Lounge & Rooftop, Porta, Wurstbar, Latham House, Emma’s, Ani Ramen, Freetown Road Project, Paulie’s Brickhouse, the Rooftop at Exchange Place, 902 Brewing, Amiya Restaurant, Just Beclaws, Luna Restaurant and Bar, Barge Inn, Subia’s Vegan Cafe, Grace O’Malleys, Hudson Hound Jersey City, Amelia’s Bistro and CrepeNBake.

This city-wide event is sponsored by the Jersey City Restaurant Association in partnership with Jersey City Special Improvement Districts.

Cost: $100 to participate. For more information, visit Jersey City Restaurant Week on Facebook.

Library Offers ‘Writing for Wellness’

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he Hoboken Library is offering Writing for Wellness, an online weekly support group that fosters expression, every Wednesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. through March 31.

The group is open to adults and young adults.

Led by a social work professional, writing sessions will cover positive coping skills, self-care journaling, reflection activities and more. All sessions will be held live on Zoom.

For more information and to register, visit HobokenLibrary.org/literacy.

Busy Bee Offers Couples Cooking Class

B

usy Bee Organics, in Jersey City, is serving up a threecourse evening in for two from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on February 14.

The class includes all ingredients and recipes, as well as a candle and flowers, for a special Valentine’s night staying in.

Couples will be preparing an appetizer, entrée and dessert at home. The kit will be delivered the Monday prior to the scheduled class.

Cost: $185. To register or for more information, visit BusyBeeOrganics.com/Product/Cooking-Classes/.

February 2021

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health briefs

Melatonin, a hormonal sleep aid that can be purchased for a few dollars at local pharmacies, appears to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 by 30 percent, report researchers from the Cleveland Clinic.

Among African Americans, a group disproportionately impacted by the virus, the risk was reduced by 52 percent. For the study, published in PLOS Biology, researchers used artificial intelligence to compare the host genes and proteins of the novel coronavirus to those of 64 other diseases across a range of categories. They found 34 drugs for possible repurposing, then combed through 27,000 patient records to find which drugs had in fact lowered the risk of contracting the virus. “We’re excited about these results and to study that connection more, but large-scale observational studies and randomized controlled trials are essential to confirm what we’ve found here,” says lead researcher Feixiong Cheng.

In updated guidelines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that dental amalgam fillings may cause health problems for some high-risk groups because of mercury vapor leaks.

Among those advised to avoid amalgams, which contain mercury, silver, copper and tin, are pregnant women; women that plan to become pregnant or are nursing; children, especially those under the age of 6; and those with kidney problems or preexisting neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. Over time, amalgams can release small amounts of mercury vapor, depending on how extensively people grind their teeth or chew gum and how old the filling is, studies show. It’s a more cautious tone for the FDA, which along with the American Dental Association, has long maintained that amalgams are safe, a finding disputed by health advocates. Mindful of health and aesthetics, patients are increasingly opting for tooth-colored resin composites. Nearly half of all U.S. dentists no longer use mercury, and its use is being legally phased out in more than a dozen countries. kevin bation/Unsplash.com

Government Updates Risks of Amalgam Fillings

cottonbro/Pexels.com

Consider Melatonin to Lower COVID-19 Risk

Polypropylene baby bottles­—which comprise 82 percent of the global baby bottle market—release an “extraordinary” number of microplastic particles, reports a new study by Trinity College Dublin. In a study published in Nature Food, which covered 48 regions worldwide, researchers found that flexible plastic baby bottles release as many as 16.2 million particles per liter.

“A study last year by the World Health Organization estimated adults would consume between 300 and 600 microplastics a day—our average values were on the order of a million or millions,” study co-author John Boland told The Guardian. He called for more studies to understand the implications, saying the researchers were “absolutely gobsmacked” by the numbers. The microplastics are released when heated liquid is used to sterilize the bottles and to dissolve powdered formula and when the bottle is shaken to dissolve the powder. The higher the water temperature, the greater the release of particles. Polypropylene bottles have a “5” on the recycling symbol on the bottom.

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Use Glass Baby Bottles to Avoid Microplastic Particles

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Eat Chili Peppers to Live Longer Regular consumption of chili peppers can reduce the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 26 percent and from cancer by 23 percent, suggests a review of 4,729 studies involving 570,000 people. Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic reported to the annual scientific session of the American Heart Association that frequent chili eaters also had a lower risk of dying from any cause by 25 percent compared to those that rarely or never ate the fruit. Because it was difficult to measure the type and amount of chili pepper eaten by the Americans, Italians, Chinese and Iranians in the study, no quantities were specified. Previous studies have found that chili pepper has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer and blood glucose-regulating effects due to capsaicin, its active ingredient.

kosolovskyy/Adobestock.com

Take Propolis and Vitamins A, E and D for Respiratory Tract Infections Two new studies offer hope for dealing with the winter’s respiratory woes.

Propolis, the resin-like substance made by bees from plants to build their hives, has been used for centuries to heal wounds and treat colds. In a new study, researchers from Italy’s University of Naples Federico II gave either a propolis extract oral spray or a placebo three times a day to 122 people with mild upper respiratory tract infections. After three days, 83 percent of the patients in the propolis group enjoyed remission of all symptoms such as sore throat, hoarseness and throat swelling and redness, compared to 28 percent of the placebo group. The propolis reduced the duration of infection from five days to three days, two days less than the placebo.

A second study in Britain of 6,115 adults found that those with adequate intakes of vitamins A and E from diet and supplements had fewer respiratory complaints. People taking vitamin D as supplements, but not from their diet, also fared better at fending off such symptoms as breathlessness, bronchial trouble, viral pneumonia and throat infection.

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global briefs Climate Change Makes Hurricane Destruction Worse

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A study from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University published in Nature predicts that hurricanes will remain stronger and persist longer after making landfall, causing greater and more widespread destruction, because of ocean waters heated by climate change. In the 1960s, hurricanes lost 75 percent of their energy in the first day after making landfall, but more recent hurricanes lost only about 50 percent of their energy in that same time.

Hurricanes feed off heat energy from the sea and rapidly lose strength once they reach land. Pinaki Chakraborty, a senior author of the study, and its lead author, Ph.D. student Lin Li, analyzed data on storms that made landfall after forming in the North Atlantic between 1967 and 2018.

They found that how slowly the storms weakened closely matched changes in sea surface temperatures during the same period. From computer simulations of hurricanes, they discovered that hotter temperatures allowed the hurricanes to hold on to more moisture, which they could continue to use as a source of heat energy once they reached land.

Tiny Invaders

Plastic Particles Ingested in Food and Water

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Researchers at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, estimate people that drink bottled water ingest an additional 90,000 microplastic particles annually compared to 4,000 microplastics for those that drink only tap water. Food is contaminated with plastic as well, which we also ingest. The researchers took data from 26 studies that measured plastic in salt, beer, sugar, fish, shellfish, water and urban air, and combined it with U.S. 10

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dietary guidelines to calculate how many particles people likely consumed annually. The results are 50,000 particles per year for adults and 40,000 for children. When inhalation is included, the estimate rises to between 74,000 and 121,000 particles per year for adults. Even these figures are likely underestimated, because the foods in the studies make up only 15 percent of the typical American caloric intake.

The particles’ effect on the human body is not yet understood. Another study revealed that some plastic is expelled from the body in feces. But there is also evidence that it gets absorbed, and that the tiniest particles can enter the bloodstream and lymphatic system, which could affect immune response and aid transmission of toxic chemicals.

Outdoor Fun

Childhood Immunity Enhanced

by Natural Environment

At the University of Helsinki, in Finland, a new project recorded in the journal Science Advances found that switching a child’s playground from gravel to natural forest floor could foster a better immune system within a month by exposing them to a greater variety of skin and gut bacteria. The researchers studied 75 children between 3 and 5 years of age at 10 daycare centers in two Finnish cities to see how a change in their playing environment altered their skin and gut microbiota, as well as immune markers in their blood.

Four centers turned their gravel playgrounds into fields of forest floor, soil and grasses, while three already had that setting. Three others kept their existing gravel playground. One month after the changes were made, scientists collected samples of skin, blood and feces from the children. In just a few weeks, microbiota of the children at the renovated daycare centers quickly shifted to become more like the microbiomes of children that attended centers that already had more natural play surfaces. The children at the renovated daycare centers developed a higher ratio of the anti-inflammatory proteins to pro-inflammatory proteins in their blood, indicating that their immune systems were in better shape. visionpic/Pexels.com

Big Blow

Europe Tightens Methane Emission Monitoring, But U.S. Does Not

markus distelrath/Pexels.com

The United Nations reported that atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas methane reached a record high, and 62 oil and gas companies acting as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition’s Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) have adopted a new framework to report methane emissions. None of the participating oil and gas companies in the OGMP are in the United States. The initiative, managed by the U.N. Environment Programme, asks companies to report methane emissions from both core operations and joint ventures. The OGMP represents about 30 percent of global oil and gas production and seeks to deliver a 45 percent reduction in the oil and gas industry’s methane emissions by 2025.

Approximately 60 percent of methane emitted into the atmosphere comes from manmade sources such as fossil fuels, landfills, biomass burning and agriculture. For the first time, companies are committing to regularly measure their methane emissions using strict, science-based standards, as opposed to engineering estimates, which have historically understated emissions. This newly adopted method involves field measurements and ongoing monitoring with drones and satellites.

Hard Knocks

Low-Carbon Cement Offsets Climate Change

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The manufacture of cement creates up to 8 percent of the total global carbon dioxide generated by humans, according to the Chatham House, a London-based think tank. Four billion tons of cement are produced every year, but that figure is expected to rise to 5 billion tons in the next 30 years. The emissions result from the fossil fuels used to create heat for cement formation, as well as the chemical process in a kiln that transforms limestone

into clinker, which is then ground and combined with other materials to make cement. In 2018, the Global Cement and Concrete Association, which represents about 30 percent of worldwide production, issued the industry’s first sustainability guidelines, a set of key measurements such as emissions and water usage intended to track performance improvements and make them transparent.

A variety of approaches are being explored and implemented to lower these worrisome carbon emissions. For example, CarbonCure, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, stores carbon dioxide captured from other industrial processes in concrete through mineralization, rather than releasing it into the atmosphere as a byproduct. Solidia, in Piscataway, New Jersey, uses a chemical process licensed from Rutgers University that has cut 30 percent of the carbon dioxide usually released in making cement. It uses more clay and less limestone and heat than typical processes.

Stress Responses

Disaster Fatigue Influences Decisions

Extreme levels of stress from wildfires, hurricanes, floods and the pandemic can induce “disaster fatigue”, a form of emotional exhaustion that may reshape how people make choices.

Tara Powell, a behavioral health expert at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign, states that there isn’t a single strategy for combating disaster fatigue, but current studies could help researchers and emergency planners customize interventions to aid specific communities and individuals, helping them prepare for impending disasters and recovery afterward. The condition can have major implications for emergency planners trying to encourage people to get out of harm’s way.

Jennifer Collins, a severe weather scientist at the University of South Florida, and her collaborators received more than 7,000 responses to a survey sent to Florida residents before the last hurricane season began. Nearly 75 percent of respondents perceived the hypothetical risk of evacuating to a shelter and potentially exposing themselves to COVID-19 as more dangerous than sheltering in place. But after September’s Hurricane Laura, Collins saw shifting perceptions in 300 responses—some that said they had sheltered in place during the storm admitted they would not do so again the next time. darwin brandis/Adobesstock.com

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It may take some getting used to, and some friends may think it odd, but banning shoes in the house is a good idea. Research has shown that when we’re out and about, our shoes come into direct contact with a variety of microbes, including viruses and bacteria.

If we walk around our homes in these same shoes without disinfecting them first, we can track in some of those germs and spread them throughout our living spaces.

Pollen and mold can also come into the house on shoes. Upping the gross factor, think about picking up fecal matter left by pets on lawns, driveways and sidewalks, as well as the human kind from public restroom floors.

Keeping the indoor sanctuary as clean as possible should be job number one, especially if one or more people in the house are allergy sufferers, immunocompromised individuals or small children that play on the floor and regularly stick things into their mouths.

Organisms survive longer in carpets, which are harder to clean and disinfect than hard floors, but the easiest solution is to leave shoes by the front door.

Setting up a seat and shoe storage area at the entrance makes the transition much easier.

Designate one or two pairs as in-

door shoes—they could be slippers or comfy loafers that never go outdoors.

Socks or good-old-fashioned bare feet are also options. Some people swear by antimicrobial doormats, wiping their feet two or more times on the treated mat before crossing the threshold.

Periodically cleaning shoes is a good idea, too. The first step is to check the shoe manufacturer’s instructions. Some shoes, like canvas sneakers, can be placed in the washing machine and air dried. Most rubber or leather soles can be scrubbed with soapy water using an old toothbrush or a washcloth. Avoid detergents or cleaners with bleach unless the shoes are white. Thoroughly rinse off the soap to avoid making the shoes slippery.

Asking guests to remove their shoes before entering the abode may feel awkward. Be kind and gentle when making the request, explaining that it will help preserve the family’s health. And if they seem uncomfortable, be flexible. When hosting a gathering, it may be wise to give invitees advance warning of the no-shoe preference so that they can bring slippers or socks. A proactive host might even have fresh socks or house shoes available for guests.

Photo Credit: Jesse Honigberg

LIVE & LOVE NJ Follow Your Heart

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ome is where the heart is. And judging from the real estate data, a lot of hearts have fallen for New Jersey.

Even before the pandemic, people like me, originally a New Yorker and now a New Jersey resident, were looking for a new place to call home with a vibrant culture, good schools, accessibility to the city, and more space.

In 2020, as everyone began spending more time at home, rearranging their living space to accommodate Zoom meetings and classes and 24/7 family togetherness, more urban dwellers realized they needed something different. Good news is, New Jersey is abundant with counties booming with urban energy. Once-quaint towns like Westfield, Summit, Madison and Morristown have become the new “it” spots for quality of life and proximity to the city.

So what happens when your heart seeks a home but you don’t want to sacrifice the things you love about your current one? This is where you need a trusted source for authentic living. As a local reporter and licensed Realtor serving all of New Jersey, I’ll use this monthly column to share what I know about area real estate trends and the latest news across the Garden State.

So where will your heart lead you? Send me an email and let me know!

Tina Woods is editor-in-chief of Natural Awakenings and an agent partner of Michelle Pais at Signature Realty NJ. Pais was named one of Forbes Innovative Leaders of New Jersey in 2019, and seen on the American Dream, NBC, CBS, the CW, ABC and Fox.

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Tina Woods, Licensed NJ Realtor® Member of NAR®, NJAR®, NCJAR® and Women’s Council of Realtors® Signature Realty NJ, 357 Springfield Ave, Summit, NJ 07901 Tina@SignatureRealtyNJ.com • 973-921-1111 February 2021

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Live a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle Integrative Cardiologists on Preventing Heart Disease

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by Ronica O’Hara

C

ardiology has made mind-boggling advances in efficiently repairing everything from clogged arteries to floppy mitral valves and even replacing the entire failing heart itself. Yet the stubborn fact remains that almost half of all Americans suffer from cardiovascular disease, killing one in four of us, and those numbers are rising.

Research shows that simple lifestyle changes can prevent 80 percent of these deaths, but many cardiologists typically reach for a prescription pad rather than explore diet, exercise and other prevention options with their patients.

“Medicine can be life-saving, but optimal heart health can’t come from medicine alone,” says cardiologist Stephen Devries, co-author of Integrative Cardiology. “There is a common belief among many physicians that patients generally don’t want to make lifestyle changes—an assumption that is often dead wrong and refuted by surveys of patients that show that the majority are looking to do exactly that.”

Los Angeles restauranteur and musician Gianni Neiviller, 54, is such a case. When he found holistic cardiologist Cynthia Thaik three years ago, he had already endured four major surgeries for gut illnesses; was suffering from obesity, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression; and was heavily abusing alcohol and marijuana. Thaik ordered tests that 14

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uncovered sleep apnea, and she encouraged him to turn to an all-organic diet, take vitamin and mineral supplements, exercise and practice mindfulness and meditation.

“At first it was all fairly hard, but as I started losing the pounds, my mind became more clear, and little by little, it all started getting a bit easier,” Neiviller says. He lost 86 pounds within a year, got sober and ceased taking blood pressure medication and using a sleep apnea machine. He now walks six miles a day; practices a hybrid regimen of qigong, yoga and meditation; and is switching to a holistic health career.

“When people try to push my buttons, they

rarely succeed these days,” he smiles.

Rebounding into vibrant health is what integrative cardiologists like Devries and Thaik strive for. Also known as preventive or holistic cardiologists, they focus on guiding patients to change long-held, harmful, physical and emotional practices.

Although they are comparatively few in number—probably no more than 100 nationally—these doctors are vocal and influential, imparting valuable advice about preventing and reversing heart disease through daily lifestyle choices.

Heart-Happy Eating Substantial research affirms that one major line of defense against heart disease is what we put into our mouths every day, yet only 8 percent of cardiologists consider themselves capable to give nutritional advice, a survey showed. To counter that, Devries co-founded the Gaples Institute, a Naperville, Illinois, nonprofit that offers free nutritional training online to the public and nutritional accreditation for medical clinicians. Devries, who trained at Dr. Andrew Weil’s Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, lectures internationally and recently authored What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Cholesterol.

“People have a lot more power over their heart health than they realize,” he says.

According to Devries, the name of a diet is not as important as the anti-inflammatory foods it should contain, such as “a wide variety of vegetables and fruit, plenty of beans, whole grains in place of refined, minimizing or eliminating meat (especially processed meat like bacon and sausage), minimizing added sugar (especially from sugar-sweetened beverages) and using small amounts of the most healthful oils, like extra-virgin olive oil.” And the evidence is increasing, he says, of “minimizing or eliminating animal products and getting most or all of your protein from highquality plant sources like beans, tofu, whole grains and nuts. Fish is one exception for which there is good evidence.”

He’s backed up by a November 2020 study of 220,000 adults published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. It concludes that those with diets high

in red and processed meat, refined grains and sugary beverages had a 46 percent higher risk of heart disease and a 28 percent higher risk of stroke compared to those consuming anti-inflammatory diets rich in green and yellow vegetables, whole grains, coffee and tea.

Devries suggests that gradual, incremental changes to the diet may be easier than abrupt and dramatic choices. For example, he might recommend switching from sugary soda to flavored seltzer first, then trying lemon water and black tea with milk before opting for plain, green tea. Sipping a cup of green tea at least every other day reduces the risk of heart attacks and dying of heart disease by one-fifth, Chinese researchers report in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Powerful Supplements As a young cardiologist frustrated by the revolving-door nature of his patients, Stephen Sinatra came upon an obscure 1982 study of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) that he realized could have saved the life of a favorite patient. This catalyzed his intensive studies into nutrition and bioenergetics that produced 17 books, including the bestselling Reverse Heart Disease Now and The Sinatra Solution. He helped formulate the new field of metabolic cardiology that proposes preventing and treating cardiovascular disease with nutraceuticals to improve energy production in heart cells.

In addition to suggesting a high-potency, multi-nutrient, fish oil, magnesium and vitamin C for prevention, he recommends four key nutrients that produce and use adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body’s basic cellular fuel:

YCoQ10 is synthesized in the body, but

declines with age and statin use. It protects from the free radical damage linked to inflammation. Dosage: 90 to 250 milligrams (mg) daily for prevention, 180 to 360 mg for hypertension and 300 to 600 mg for heart failure.

YL-carnitine ferries fatty acids to be

oxidized to make ATP and moves toxic metabolites out of heart cells. Dosage: 1,000 to 1,500 mg in divided doses to

prevent deficiency and up to 3,000 mg for heart disease.

YMagnesium, required in all reactions involving ATP, is depleted by some gastrointestinal medications and diuretics.

Dosage: at least 400 mg.

YD-ribose is a naturally occurring sugar derivative of ATP that hastens energy regeneration. Dosage: five to seven grams (gm) daily as a preventive, seven to 10 gm daily for heart failure.

In other nutrient news, adults that took glucosamine/chondroitin every day for a year or longer had a 65 percent reduction in cardiovascular-related deaths, reports West Virginia University researchers that analyzed 16 years of data from 16,686 adults.

Smart Testing Preventive cardiologist Joel Kahn, the author of Your Whole Heart Solution and The Plant-Based Solution, says that lab tests typically prescribed by cardiologists and other doctors are inadequate. “Standard lab tests have not changed in 30 to 40 years, but science has,” he says. “For example, inflammation is now understood to be a fundamental process for most chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

A simple lab test, hs-CRP, is available to measure inflammation. Very few doctors add this to their panel. When it is high, it leads to a search for why there is inflammation and diet, lifestyle and other measures to resolve it.”

After 25 years as a cardiologist treating heart-attack emergencies, Kahn, who is vegan, went back to college to study preventive cardiology and set up the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity, in Bingham Farms, Michigan, which focuses on dietary counseling and preventive screenings. His list of “must have” tests includes:

YAdvanced cholesterol panel for a breakdown of LDL-cholesterol particle number and size, which is highly predictive of cardiovascular problems.

YLipoprotein(a) cholesterol to detect a

risk-elevating genetic form of cholesterol that’s present in about 20 percent of those tested.

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YHigh-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) to identify inflammation of blood vessels.

YHemoglobin A1c (HbA1C) to obtain the three-month

measure of sugar in hemoglobin, a marker of both diabetes and heart disease.

YVitamin D to identify deficiencies linked to a higher risk of hypertension, heart failure, angina and heart attacks.

Move It or Lose It The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (brisk walking, water aerobics, gardening, tennis, dancing) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (running, jumping, swimming laps), as well as musclestrengthening activity (weights) at least two days a week.

Only 20 percent of adults exercise for the full 150 minutes per week, which may be why physical inactivity is a major factor in an estimated one-third of heart disease deaths. “I like to frame it as ‘being active’, because exercise sounds onerous,” Devries says.

“Even a small amount of activity goes a long way—walking at a gentle pace 30 minutes a day confers very significant benefits. Up to a point, more can be better, but only for some people, and only to a point.”

Even moving a few minutes daily can add up. Doing 12-minute bursts of vigorous exercise favorably impacts 80 percent of the metabolites that govern such functions as oxidative stress, inflammation and vascular reactivity, reports a new study in Circulation.

Just one hour a week of strength training significantly lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart disease death, another study found. And simply holding thigh and calf stretches for 45 seconds for a total of five minutes daily improved arterial blood flow, reports a study in the Journal of Physiology.

The Emotional Heart As a child in Myanmar, Thaik witnessed hands-on healing at a clinic she visited with her physician mother, but holistic care only entered her life after 20 years of practice as a frustrated cardiologist, when she was laid low by severe anemia that required transfusions and surgery. Today, the Harvard-trained cardiologist is the author of Your Vibrant Heart and founder of the Holistic Heart Healing Center, in Los Angeles, which integrates the medical model with lifestyle strategies and approaches like homeopathy and acupuncture.

“I very much believe that we are both physical beings and energetic or spiritual beings. Our physical makeup is closely intertwined with our mental and emotional makeup,” Thaik says. She counsels patients to practice the following:

YMindfulness. “A mentor of mine, (life coach) Mary Morrisey,

taught me to avoid the three Cs—complaining, comparing or criticizing. If you attempt to do this for even an hour, you will find that it is actually a hard task. Practicing this allows us to be acutely mindful of our thoughts.”

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YGratitude. “I wake up every morning and before my feet hit

the floor, I make this statement five times and fill in five different answers: ‘I am so happy and grateful now that ...’”

YReleasing. “I believe the most important ingredient to health and healing is the ability to release—to forgive self and others, to let go and abandon all of our negative thoughts, our self-limiting beliefs, our notions of right and wrong, our feelings of injustice and being wronged.”

She advises, “When we can abandon all these beliefs and allow ourselves to float or drift unimpeded—imagine yourself on a tube in a lazy river—that is when healing within our bodies begins, when our parameters of stress and the hormones and neurotransmitters associated with stress start to down-regulate, and we can literally feel a wave of relaxation passing through our bodies. This will lower our heart rate, blood pressure, adrenaline and cortisol levels, thereby mitigating our risk of a heart attack or stroke.”

Ronica O’Hara, a natural health writer, can be contacted at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

More Heart-Healthy Strategies take long soaks. Middle-aged Japanese adults that took a daily bath in warm or hot water had a 28 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 26 percent lower risk of stroke than people that didn’t bathe in the tub more than twice a week, concludes a study in the journal Heart. outdo each other. People that competed with each other to walk more steps ended up walking about 100 miles more in nine months than people that simply walked on their own, reports the JAMA Internal Medicine. consider cannabidiol. This non-psychoactive form of cannabis has been shown in small lab studies to lower inflammation and ease arrhythmia. “CBD can help to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, improve anxiety and depression, reduce inflammation, improve glucose regulation, diminish pain and thereby lower our adrenergic (fight-orflight) tone,” says holistic cardiologist Cynthia Thaik. brush a lot. In a 10-year Korean study, people that brushed their teeth three or more times a day had a 10 percent lower risk of atrial fibrillation and a 12 percent lower risk of heart failure. sidestep pollution. Stay away from traffic and industrial areas when exercising. Even a few hours of exposure to the ultrafine particles generated by emissions may potentially trigger a nonfatal heart attack, reports research in Environmental Health Perspectives.

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green living

Saying ‘I Do’ to the Planet Green Weddings Embrace Sustainability

by Sandra Yeyati

F

rom advising couples about Earth-friendly menus to reducing and reusing plastic in her business operations, wedding planner Erica Jill Razze, of Capiche Custom Events, in Wilmington, Delaware, is dedicated to environmentalism. When designing her own wedding last year, she wanted it to serve as a portfolio example of sustainability. “Our parents are a little more traditional, so there were certain aspects that we tried to respect and uphold for them, while still finding our happy place from an environmental standpoint,” she says.

Although no wedding can be totally zero waste, there are always greener options, starting with the invitations. The most ecofriendly choice is email, which Razze’s parents declined to use, so she opted for the next best thing: biodegradable, non-toxic paper directly benefitting women in India. In lieu of a response card, which would have required more paper and another mailing, she created a website for RSVPs. Bridal shower invitations were printed on botanical paper embedded with seeds. Invitees that followed the planting instructions were delighted to welcome blooming flowers in their yards.

“Find a venue that already fits your theme, so that you’re not trying to transform a space or shipping in plastic decorations that add to the carbon footprint and end up in landfills,” says Razze, who prefers horticultural centers or outdoors spaces. “The beauty and simplicity of what’s around you is what makes it so wonderful,” she says. “Don’t try to turn a ballroom into a forest and vice versa.”

Flown-in, farmed flowers are a big no-no. “The transportation is a huge carbon footprint. If they’re growing one particular flower, they’re treated with pesticides,” Razze says. Sustainable alternatives are locally harvested, organic wildflowers; dried flowers that haven’t been sprayed or painted with toxic chemicals; silk blooms; and rented potted plants. Some local florists collect flowers after the event for composting. Heart-shaped confetti made of dried leaves is a clever swap that begins composting once it hits the ground.

Razze’s vegan meal offered another planet-saving opportunity.

While real stoneware and silverware gets expensive because it requires hiring staff, single-use plastics that are gold-decorated to simulate real china betray the Earth and believability. “You’re not fooling anybody with that stuff,” she says, recommending less costly alternatives like biodegradable bamboo and palm-leaf disposables. “Instead of fakeimpress, show people something new. Thankfully, taking care of the environment has become trendy, so it’s an easier sell.”

Instead of wedding favors, most of which come from China and are wrapped in plastic, donate meals to people that don’t have ac18

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cess to food, advises Emily Raezer, director of weddings at Global Gourmet Catering (GGC), in San Francisco. “A lot of times, guests don’t even take those favors home. Why not make a donation that’s going to have a social impact?” GGC also donates all event leftovers to food banks in local communities.

As the first green-certified caterer in Northern California, GGC educates wedding clients about sustainability, helping them choose menu items that are in season, organic, locally sourced,

sustainably farmed and drought-friendly. Raezer explains the reasoning behind these principles: “We don’t want things traveling very far and having CO2 emissions. Growing things out of season costs the environment water and other resources, and some products are more drought-friendly—which explains choosing avocados over cucumbers. Sustainable fishing really impacts our oceans, so we won’t source any fish that’s on the Monterey Bay watchlist, and a lot of couples are cutting out red meat from their weddings because of the methane emissions.”

GGC goes to extraordinary lengths to minimize impacts caused by their events, including reclaiming and repurposing used vegetable oil for San Francisco’s alternatively fueled vehicles; serving filtered tap water to avoid using plastic water bottles; opting for biodegradable and reusable utensils and decorations; recycling whenever possible; partnering with local farms to compost efficiently; and using non-toxic dishwasher detergents. For every event, they donate a portion of the proceeds to Terrapass for carbon offsets.

Despite all preparations, couples must be ready for the unexpected. When the COVID-19 shutdown hit last March, just two months before Razze’s May wedding, she decided to legally marry in a small gathering of fewer than 10 people and postponed her larger green reception for a year. “We want to celebrate with everybody,” she says.

“In a year, it could be a vow renewal. How cool is that?”

Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer. Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

Earth-Friendly Engagement Rings

A

mong environmentally and socially conscious couples, traditional engagement rings purchased at Tiffany’s that feature the largest diamond three month’s pay will buy are not so cool when more ethical, sustainable and meaningful options are available.

One goal is to use conflict-free or ethical diamonds that are not associated with civil wars, unfair pay, unsafe working conditions, human rights abuses and unsavory environmental practices. Earthfriendlier choices include rings inherited from family members or purchased at estate sales, as well as lab-generated gems and custom-designed, one-of-a-kind rings.

According to jewelry designer Amanda Jaron, of Naples, Florida, there’s a trend in the younger, first-time wedding market toward alternative gems. “It might be a lab-created diamond like a moissanite, or what they call a salt-and-pepper diamond, which has many black and white inclusions [imperfections], giving the stone a speckled or smoky look.”

Gemstones and jewelry handed down by family members or acquired at an estate sale are also popular and represent the bulk of Jaron’s creative work. “There’s nothing more special than a gemstone that has two or three decades worth of life to tell,” she says.

“I love being able to create fabulous, modern pieces that my clients can wear proudly. What’s better than a sparkly treasure that also has sentimental value?”

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February 2021

19

community spotlight

Joie de Vivre

Green Pear Style

I

A magical taste of Old-World Europe in Hoboken and Jersey City

sabella Molnar, owner of the Green Pear Café, in Downtown Hoboken, once had a very different kind of job: she was a professional opera singer in Europe. In fact, her fans there were shocked when the native Hungarian quit her career to settle with her family in the United States.

“My career taught me a great lesson of losing a job every time the curtain went down,” she says. “Being an independent contractor, after three months of hard work, I always had to focus on the next audition, the next hurdle and how to better myself.

There was never a chance to catch a cold, to stay in bed, for a snow day or no-show day.”

Deciding to launch a small business also involved risk and commitment--“I had no experience in retail, hospitality, culinary arts or business in general,” Molnar says— but at least she was living on her own terms.

She could finally venture outside without a silk scarf or enjoy an ice-cold drink.

Because Molnar couldn’t get a bank loan, she borrowed from her parents and her husband, who cashed in his 401K so she could open a coffee shop, Green Pear Café, 20

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in a tree-shaded storefront at Grand and First Street. Molnar was there to unlock the doors every morning, seven days a week, for the first two years. Her hard work paid off.

“Hoboken embraced us from the day we opened the doors in 2015,” she says. “My husband predicted I’d have two years of losses. He was in awe how off his predictions were.”

Perhaps they were off because what Molnar created was not a traditional café.

There was the eclectic menu: health-conscious, reimagined versions of old-world comfort foods, made from scratch. There was the décor: upcycled chic with circus touches.

Isabella Molnar

And there was the mission. Molnar says she envisioned Green Pear as a haven, a place for people—especially women—to gather. She hosted workshops and other educational events; creative entertainment (drag bingo!); and opportunities to explore spirituality, like tarot readings. The café quickly proved a friend of local artists too, including dancers, fine artists, musicians, jewelers and artisans.

“The neighborhood was on board, embracing my creativity both in the menu and décor,” she says. “They participated in community programs, took classes, marveled at the entertainment, and together we created an amazing downtown story.

We molded this hidden spot under a pear tree into an international space where there was a little bit of everything: young and old, healthy and comforting, slow and go, cultural and businesslike, spiritual and educative.”

The café’s popularity got a lot of help from social media and Yelp, the modern day “word of mouth,” Molnar says. “People began taking Ubers from surrounding

towns just to come to Green Pear Café. That would be impossible without the explosion of phone apps.”

Business exploded too. Molnar hired more staff, always with a goal of empowering women. She began catering for Jet.com in Hoboken, which led her to the office catering scene in New York City. Soon she was supplying Manhattan offices three times a week, feeding 100 to180 people at a time.

“Opening a commercial kitchen in Jersey City Heights, I quickly learned economics, logistics, supply and manufacturing, but I was missing my tribe and culture,” she says. “I wanted to stir this big ship home again and dive into the sensory, emotional and creative waters, so I applied for an entertainment license.”

Taking Hungarian to New Heights Molnar opened Green Pear Heights Restaurant—combining an event space, live entertainment, culture and food—two years ago, in Jersey City Heights. In designing a menu, she went against her family’s advice and focused on what she knew best: authentic Hungarian cuisine. Creating this traditional food was a labor of love, but again her diligence was richly rewarded.

“I cater to cultures where there is no meal without a hearty soup followed by a one-bowl meal filled with protein, carbohydrates and vegetables,” she says. “My meals require a very long time, knowledge and patience. I will always have customers, because people don’t have the time to spend

close to 20 hours making beef marrow bone soup filled with collagen, or stews, or root salads. They know it and they appreciate it.”

Molnar says she was surprised by how many of her American customers told her they remembered their own immigrant ancestors cooking similar dishes.

“My chicken soup was named ‘Jewish penicillin,’ and my stuffed cabbage brought tears to the eyes of one of my customers, who said it reminded her of her late grandmother,” she says. “An Asian customer asked to meet me because my pig’s feet stew was the only one that matched his mom’s recipe. I had Polish people come in because they’d heard about our pierogi prepared with Italian Parmigiano cheese.”

She says the secret ingredients in her recipes are her three passions: homeopathy, herbology and Ayurveda. “These ancient studies go well beyond today’s borders— they relate to all of us as one. These herbs make us feel better, healthier and lighter, and our local stores have them all.”

The combination of food and entertainment turned out to be a perfect recipe.

People traveled to Green Pear Heights Restaurant not just from Bergen County and Staten Island, but from Israel and the Ukraine. Locals would come on Sundays for an early dinner of goulash accompanied by Strauss waltzes. Even when live performers weren’t lined up, diners came to enjoy the unique atmosphere, which reflected Molnar’s love for the circus arts and all things magic.

Then COVID hit.

Making Magic “We had to shut down the music and magic, and we started connecting our audience with people in blue,” Molnar says. “My fundraiser was focused on young people wearing the uniform and our sponsors that agreed to cheer them up during their late-night shifts in Jersey City.”

She started a GoFundMe. The donations poured in.

“I will never ever forget this amazing experience—how people wanted to do something positive, feel alive and connected,” Molnar says. “I avoided organizations that were suddenly popping up and distributing donations however they wanted. Instead, we directly connected every officer with a named donor. For the first time in history, millennials from Hoboken were buying dinners for millennial cops on late-night shifts in Jersey City Heights.”

With the community’s help, Green Pear delivered 600 healthy dinners, snacks and drinks to the Jersey City North District Police Department. Molnar and her husband matched those donations and delivered 600 coffees and snacks to the staff of Christ Hospital in Jersey City.

“My children helped us through this, both physically and emotionally, and thus received an unforgettable experience as well,” she says.

Green Pear Group has managed to stay open throughout the pandemic— “pivoting, twisting and twirling”—even though they had to furlough their staff for liability and health reasons.

And while technology has enabled small businesses to expand their reach, “the importance and validity of the brick and mortar is here to stay,” Molnar says.

“A few days ago, I heard an e-commerce employee say that mom and pop shops like mine don’t exist anymore. I just smiled and answered that they do exist— you just need to look under the magic pear tree.”

For more information about Green Pear Café and Green Pear Heights Restaurant, visit GreenPearGroup.com.

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healing ways

but also worry about all the ‘what ifs’. When I find myself lost in the past, it can bring me sadness and regret. I have learned from mindfulness that these are just mental habits.”

Cara Bradley, a mental fitness coach in Philadelphia and author of On the Verge: Wake Up, Show Up and Shine, says, “To be mindful is to show up to experience the moment as it is, with all your senses—when we eat, when we walk, whatever we are doing.”

Diving Deeper

Tools for Inner Peace

Exploring Mindfulness and Meditation

by Marlaina Donato

T

he practices of mindfulness and meditation, although closely related, offer individual, science-backed benefits for both body and psyche. Mindfulness has been shown to amp up immunity and increase gray matter in the brain, and 2018 research published in Experimental Biology shows that just an introductory hour of meditation using breathwork and awareness of thoughts significantly reduced anxiety. The study indicates that when applied regularly, mindfulness minimizes arterial pressure and cardiovascular health risks associated with long-term nervous system stress.

Immersion in the Moment Mindfulness—cultivating present-moment awareness by noticing body sensations, thoughts and details in our environment—not only makes life more enjoyable, but enables us to acknowledge life experiences and emotions without aversion and judgement. Mindfulness techniques are now being used in psychotherapy for insomnia, eating disorders and addictions. Physiological benefits are also significant. Harvard Health Publishing, referencing the work of Jon KabatZinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, highlights mindfulness for cardiovascular and gastrointestinal conditions, as well as clinical depression.

For healing arts practitioner Evelyn Hall, in Santa Cruz, California, mindfulness is a lifestyle choice.

“When my mind runs off into the future, it can create not only anxiety because I fear the unknown, 22

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While mindfulness can be the simple act of noticing the geometric design of a flower or the variety of tastes on a dinner plate, meditation brings awareness to the deepest levels of consciousness through a variety of focused techniques, including breathwork, chanting, visualization or gazing at a candle flame.

Contrary to common assumption, meditation need not be associated with religious structure. Neuroscientist Tony Nader, who heads the global Transcendental Meditation (TM) organization in 100 countries, underscores, “When you say meditation, there are numerous kinds of meditation with different origins. It can’t be assumed that just because meditation involves the mind that it involves dogma, or that meditation is religious because it has its roots from the Eastern traditions. Over time, some traditions integrated aspects of these ancient techniques into their own religions, yet not all meditations are religious.”

Meditation can bring us into the eye of the storm. “The ocean is a great analogy for understanding different approaches to meditation. Just as the ocean can be turbulent on the surface with innumerable waves and quiet at its depth, so, too, the mind is active on the surface with innumerable thoughts, but it is also naturally, profoundly quiet, deep within.”

TM, taught in personal, one-to-one instruction by a certified instructor, is one of the most thoroughly studied approaches and does not involve breathwork or repetition of chants. “There are 600 scientific research studies about the effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation technique to develop the full brain—actually, the full potential of the human nervous system,” says Nader.

Today, meditation has moved into the mainstream, with more than 2,500 digital

apps offering quick, convenient access to every type and tradition. With names like Calm and Headspace, they were downloaded by more than 52 million first-time users in 2019—and that was before the anxietyinducing pandemic. Most can be easily customized: InsightTimer, for example, offers 45,000 free meditations that can be sorted by need, duration or style.

By practicing meditation, mindfulness is also cultivated. “You can think of it as a workout for your mind, a way of becoming familiar with our mind and training our mind,” says Bradley.

Meditation can simply help to lower blood pressure or boost memory, yet it can bring mindfulness to a more spiritual level. “In a meditative state, I can feel how everything around me is alive and communicating with their own tongue and song,” says Hall. “I feel peace, no longer lost in wishing, praying or pleading that things be different. I am free from the burden of having to do something.”

Marlaina Donato is a body-mind-spirit author and composer of visionary music.

Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

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February 2021

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wise words

Shefali Tsabary on Conscious Relationships

by Sandra Yeyati

O

ffering innovative approaches to mindful living, Shefali Tsabary, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, international keynote speaker and bestselling author of The Conscious Parent, Out of Control and her latest, The Awakened Family.

She has presented talks at TEDx, the Kellogg Business School, The Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education, and SuperSoul Sessions with Oprah Winfrey, who has endorsed her work as revolutionary and life-changing.

Why do we have so much trouble with our romantic relationships?

Because we enter relationships without having entered a relationship with ourselves. We look to the other person and the relationship to fill us up, to give us what we are missing from within, and what we don’t realize is that the other person is there for the same reason. After the initial chemical, hormonal lust phase, we realize that the other person cannot be our parent figure and that they cannot fulfill our unfulfilled inner child needs.

The disappointment is so great and the anger so livid that we spiral into hurt, disappointment and unmet expectations without realizing that the other hasn’t done anything. We typically attract people

doesn’t want to grow and cannot do this inner work because of their own inner demons and resistance, then maybe you won’t be able to continue on, but you will be conscious enough to be able to release the other of the expectation to continue on. A healthy relationship is a relationship where each person takes responsibility for their own inner growth and their own inner wounds, doesn’t project their needs on the other, parents themselves into a state of wholeness and then releases the other to be free.

How do you define love? who are going to be mirrors that show us how we need to reparent ourselves and force us to repeat childhood patterns. If we have an issue of unworthiness, that’s going to show up.

If we have fear of rejection, that’s going to show up, and all fingers point to the imperative that we do our own inner work.

What does that inner work look like?

The first step is realizing that what’s happening in the relationship is really a reflection of the inner state of being, and therefore isn’t the other person’s fault that I’m feeling rejected, hurt or unworthy. We stop trying to change, fix or blame the other. We then hire a therapist or join a self-development course and begin to understand our inner wounds from childhood that are being repeated in this current dynamic. We have to do the work. It’s not easy. It’s not going to happen just because we made an intellectual decision. It’s a quest, a constant unfolding, unlayering, evolving and becoming more. The goal is your arrival into your most authentic self—into your whole, free self.

How do we remain in a relationship while doing this work?

We become more honest, more up front, more candid and ready to meet the other at our new place of growth. If the other

Most of us love egoically, which is loving the other because they make us feel good about ourselves, and the moment they stop making us feel good about ourselves, we actually leave them. That’s why there’s so much divorce. That’s not love. Egoic love is possession, ownership and control. Most of us are mired in those kinds of relationships; the institution of marriage actually supports ownership, possession and control. True, or high love, is the understanding that the other is with you and you are with them to encourage each other’s growth and to see each other be their most authentic, free selves. If that includes being with us, we’re happy. If that includes not being with us, we’re as happy. That’s true love, because you’re in love with the other person’s essence and you’re more invested in the other person’s whole self rather than the self that you want to own and possess.

What is conscious intimacy?

Conscious intimacy starts with how intimate and honest you are with yourself— how sexually connected you are with your needs and your desires. The more unabashed, bare, spontaneous and transparent you can be with yourself, the more you will seek and be around partners who can hold that space with you.

For more information, including online courses, visit DrShefali.com. Her Free to Be course specifically addresses conscious relationship issues.

Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer.

Reach her at SandraYeyati@gmail.com.

February 2021

25

conscious eating

Heartfelt Eating Best Foods for a Heart-Healthy Diet

by April Thompson

m.studio/Adobestock.com

H

ypertension affects nearly half of all Americans, increasing the risk for heart disease and stroke, the leading cause of death. We can help mitigate that risk and have a healthy “change of heart” by revamping our diets.

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While food fads are constantly changing, the basics of a heart-healthy diet have not, says Cheryl Strachan, a registered dietitian in Calgary, Canada, and founder of SweetSpotNutrition.ca. Strachan notes the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet has been used to help lower blood pressure and with other heart disease risk factors since its development in the 1990s. The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans and low-fat dairy foods. While it includes lean meat, fish and poultry, it limits sugary foods and fatty meats.

The Mediterranean diet, says Strachan, is another proven regimen for heart health, citing a five-year Spanish study in The New England Journal of Medicine that found the incidence of cardiovascular events was 30 percent lower among participants on this diet, supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts, compared to those assigned a reduced-fat diet.

A Mediterranean diet doesn’t necessarily mean eating dishes specific to that region.

“It’s the type of foods that matters: a largely plant-based diet focused on whole grains such as the bulgur in tabouli, legumes, nuts, seeds, olive oil and some animal products like fish, poultry and dairy,” says Strachan.

Michael Greger, a Seattle physician and author of the bestseller How Not to Die, disagrees that meat-based proteins have a place in a heart-healthy diet. “Only one way of eating has ever been proven to reverse heart disease in the majority of patients: a diet centered around whole-plant foods,” says Greger, adding that the most critical risk factor is elevated LDL cholesterol. “To drastically reduce LDL cholesterol levels, we need to drastically reduce our intake of trans fat, which comes from processed foods and naturally from meat and dairy; saturated fat, found mainly in animal products and junk foods; and playing a lesser role, dietary cholesterol, found exclusively in animal-derived foods, especially eggs.”

Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology dietitian and owner of Entirely Nourished, a nutrition counseling practice in New York City, likes to meet clients where they are rather than trying to force a drastic switch they can’t maintain. “Often, people

Nutrients for Heart Health Potassium is a key mineral for heart health, as it can help the body remove excess sodium, lower blood pressure and improve blood flow and blood vessel health.

Yet research shows less than 2 percent of Americans get enough. Beans, sweet potatoes, lentils, beets and avocados are among many potassium-rich foods with multiple heart benefits.

There is a growing awareness of the importance of inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids, particularly in fish like wild salmon, arctic char and sardines. Routhenstein also advocates omega-9 fatty acids such as in tahini and avocado. Omega-9s have been shown to help increase HDL “good” cholesterol and decrease LDL “bad” cholesterol while protecting blood vessel health.

Heart attacks often seem to occur suddenly simply because the damage happens gradually and quietly, warns Routhenstein.

“Heart disease is progressive, so over time a poor lifestyle and diet can damage blood vessels and accelerate hardening of the arteries that lead to heart attacks,” she warns. “Some damage may not be entirely reversible, but it’s never too late to optimize heart functioning.”

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

Servings for the Heart Quinoa, Edamame and Carrot Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing Edamame are whole, young, green soybeans that are mildly grassy in flavor. They have about five times the folate—a highly important cardiovascular nutrient—of mature soybeans. Edamame’s flavors pair well with fluffy quinoa, crunchy cabbage and carrot slaw, and combine seamlessly with the spicy, toasty notes of the ginger-sesame dressing.

Yield: 2 servings ½ cup quinoa 1 cup water 1 cup edamame, fully cooked and chilled 2 Tbsp ginger-sesame dressing 1 cup shredded carrots 2 cups shredded cabbage

courtesy of laura flippen

get very broad advice, like ‘Adopt a plantbased diet,’ but when it comes to the heart, you have to find a way of eating you can commit to long term. I start by asking what foods bring them joy, as well as their food dislikes, history and culture.”

For Routhenstein, an optimal diet for the heart includes a healthy balance of good fats, lean protein and the complex carbs that are important sources of fiber. “Research has shown that every additional 10 grams of fiber per day can decrease the risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 25 percent,” by helping the body remove excess cholesterol, says the dietitian and author of The Truly Easy Heart-Healthy Cookbook: Fuss-Free, Flavorful, Low-Sodium Meals. While fatty foods are sometimes scapegoated for poor health, unsaturated fats are “really good for blood vessel health,” she adds.

In a small pot, bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover and simmer for 8 minutes.

Add the edamame to the pot and cook for an additional four minutes, until the water in the quinoa pot has been absorbed and the edamame is tender.

In a medium-size bowl, combine the quinoa and edamame with the dressing, shredded carrots and shredded cabbage and serve.

Tip: There are three ways to make this easier: batch-cook the quinoa; thaw, cook and shell the edamame and keep overnight in the refrigerator; and buy prepackaged slaw. Just assemble.

Ginger-Sesame Dressing Typical sesame dressing is high in sodium from the soy sauce; even the low-sodium varieties are high in salt. This dressing is well-balanced, low in sodium and adds flair to just about any dish. Toasted sesame oil is aromatically pleasing and adds immediate flavor that is balanced by tangy rice vinegar, zesty ginger and crunchy sesame seeds.

2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil 2 tsp rice vinegar

2 tsp fresh grated ginger 2 tsp unsalted sesame seeds

In a small bowl, mix the sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger and sesame seeds until well combined. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.

Flavor tip: For added heat, add ½ teaspoon of hot sauce and 1 teaspoon of lime juice to balance it out.

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healthy kids

VEGGIE TRICKS How to Get Kids to Eat Better

by Ronica O’Hara

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t’s the rare parent that doesn’t have to plead and plot to get a child to eat vegetables. That’s not surprising; almost no one is born with a natural hankering for broccoli, and being wary of strange new foods may be hardwired in us so we can survive as a species. Happily, clever workarounds can help move a child past exclaiming, “Yuck!” as these parenting bloggers, nutritionists and other grown-ups have learned in the veggiesare-good-for-you trenches.

fabiomax/Adobestock.com

SERVE SMOOTHIES. “The combinations are endless. Pack it full of spinach, kale, frozen zucchini or cauliflower. Then add a frozen banana or other fruit, plus your milk of choice (like cashew milk) then blend. Bam! You have a naturally sweetened, veggie-filled, delicious drink for your child, and they don’t even know they’re drinking their vegetables,” writes Emily Lesh, at ExperiencedMommy.com.

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ROTATE FAMILY CHOICES. “Everyone in the family gets to choose one meal on one night of the week. We all commit to eating whatever the family member has chosen. This has helped our kids to try meals that aren’t on their favorite list, as they know that they’ll get their turn to choose soon,” writes Sophia Nomicos, at MasAndPas.com.

TEMPT THEM. “When I’m making dinner, I like to have carrots or cucumbers available on the counter. They always come in to try to get snacks and if they see those, they will ‘sneak them away’ to eat them, since I tell them no more snacks or food til dinner,” writes Heather Hoke, at EmbracingChaosWithLove.com.

USE SPRINKLES. “Everyone loves sprinkles!

You can use chia seeds, microplaned broccoli head, flaxseed, grated carrots or even frozen yogurt dots. It transforms the food into something much more exciting,” writes Danielle Zold, at PickyEatingDietitian.com.

REWARD MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. “Just because a kid hates a veggie the first 10 times you offer it doesn’t mean they’ll hate it forever. I try to make it fun by having kids track veggies they’ve tried and the number of times they’ve tried them with stickers on a veggie discovery table, which means even foods they dislike feel rewarding to try,” writes Jess Dang, at CookSmarts.com.

GET THEM COOKING. “My kids love to help in the kitchen, and I have found that they are much more likely to try foods that they have helped to cook. We made our cranberries from scratch for Thanksgiving. My kids loved watching the cranberries boil and pop in the pot and seeing them change colors as they cooked. When dinnertime came, they were excited to try the cranberries, and my daughter ended up loving them!” writes Sarah Miller, at HomeSchooling4Him.com.

BE SNEAKY. “Take something kids already like and make it with healthier ingredients. For example, if your kid loves meatballs, start by making them homemade, then adding in healthy things like frozen chopped spinach. I’ll grate zucchini and carrots and put them in about any pasta, meatloaf, burgers. I used to think sneaking in veggies was a bad thing, but honestly, it’s been great for our family,” writes Stephanie Rapone, at PantryToPlate.net.

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TALK UP THE BENEFITS. “I have found that when my son doesn’t want to eat something, he is much more likely to eat it if I tell him its benefits. For example, I told him, ‘When you eat carrots, they make your eyes stronger, and they help you see in the dark.’ He loves to eat carrots now. He says, ‘Now I will be able to see in the dark!’ I am learning a lot this way, too. We Google the benefits of food at least once a day,” writes Elizabeth Manly, at DiscoveryPlayShop.com.

REINFORCE. “Explain that when a child feels good, she can attribute it to eating healthy. For example, if we managed to get our daughter to eat an apple—her favorite fruit that she now eats every day—I would say, ‘Wow, you sure ran around a lot at the playground. That apple you ate gave you a lot of energy,’” writes Kirsten Schuder, author of Schooling Your Kids Through a Pandemic.

Ronica O’Hara, a natural health writer, can be contacted at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.

What the Research Shows BE PERSISTENT. Don’t give up too soon. Researchers have found that it can take toddlers five to 10 times in tasting a new food before enjoying it; and for 3-to-4-year-olds, up to 15 trials.

PUTTING ON AN APRON HELPS. A study of Canadian fifth-graders in 151 schools found that those that helped with meal prep and cooking were more likely to eat vegetables and fruit.

GIVING KIDS A CHOICE WORKS. Australian kids that were offered a choice of broccoli, cauliflower or green beans for five weeks ate twice as many veggies as children offered only one vegetable.

THINKING A FOOD IS RARE MAKES IT SPECIAL. In a recent study, 5-year-olds that were told there weren’t many more carrots than were on a plate ate 50 percent more carrots; 96 percent of those kids rated the carrots as yummy, compared to 67 percent in a no-limit carrot control group.

Bambino Chef’s Secret Ingredient Is Nutrition

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s a certified chef and youth nutrition specialist, Rene Gonzalez knows that one of the best ways to get kids to eat healthy food is to get them involved in the preparation process. That’s also been her approach as a mom, simply because she enjoys spending time in the kitchen with her family.

“I love developing kid-friendly recipes and getting creative in the kitchen with kids,” she says.

So she started a Jersey City business, Bambino Chef, as “that place where children can cook up a delicious storm, add a twist to traditional recipes, build memories and experience the magic of the kitchen.”

Bambino Chef’s team offers something for every kid: virtual cooking classes; in-person cooking classes at their studio (temporarily suspended, but back soon); after-school enrichment programs and field trips; private group classes; and cooking-themed birthday parties and celebrations.

Bambino Chef also sells scone baking mixes in chocolate and cranberry, so kids can whip up a batch of six scones in their own kitchen. All they need is a few common ingredients (butter, milk and optional egg) plus a spoon and a whisk. The package comes with instructions and two cookie cutters.

Gonzalez was kind enough to send us one of her kid-friendly creations just in time for Valentine’s Day. She calls it “the perfect February recipe.”

“Since everyone is all about chocolate around Valentine’s Day, I thought to make something with chocolate but with a healthy twist,” she explains. “Also, I wanted to create a recipe that’s versatile enough that you could make a vegan option. I’ve tested this on many people, including children, and I got a thumbs up.”

Below we’re excited to share Bambino Chef’s recipe for Chocolate Red Quinoa Squares.

Location: 213 Newark Ave., Jersey City, NJ. For more information about Bambino Chef, call 201-333-9090 or email info@bambinochef.com.

Chocolate Red Quinoa Squares (or Muffins)

Makes 9

Ingredients: 1/2 c butter (melted) 1/4 c cocoa powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 c coconut milk 1 c flour 1 c coconut sugar 1 tsp powder 1 egg 1/4 c coconut yogurt 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 c red quinoa (cooked) 2-3 tbs chocolate chips (optional but recommended) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter, set aside to cool. Combine milk, yogurt, vanilla extract, egg. Add butter, sugar and red quinoa. Mix well with a whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Pour the milk mix to dry ingredients and stir. Grease baking tin or place baking liners. Pour the batter all the way to the top.

Bake for 18-20 min or until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the squares cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. And enjoy!

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inspiration

BECOMING HEART-MINDED

by Sarah Blondin

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e already know what it feels like to be in our hearts. Although we may feel disconnected from it and at times doubt ourselves, most often all we need to do to awaken it is to become still and quiet, and it will do the rest. When we draw our attention inward and focus on our heart center, it will calm and reassure us, often instantly.

This may sound too good to be true, but this is exactly what happens when we invite

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and allow it. When we inhabit the heart, we awaken to our aliveness. We spontaneously arrive like a bolt of lightning in the present moment and all of our arguments against ourselves and life go quiet. Goodness pushes up through the chaos of our internal world and we feel lit from within by a light we had no idea was there.

At any time, no matter where we are, no matter what we are doing, we can touch this place in ourselves and activate the benefits of

the heart space. Try practicing now by placing a hand on your heart, breathe in and notice how this small act sends a message to soften and disarm. It is that simple. It’s about shifting and moving ourselves into this place of love and acceptance, allowing ourselves to be infused with the consciousness of our heart.

If we look within, most of us can identify a vision we have, an image of who we want to become, an enhanced version of ourselves— something like You 2.0. This image is often kinder, more loving, openhearted, accepting, inspired and creative; it’s often less selfconscious and more gallant. This self doesn’t succumb to fear, anger or hardship and rises above everything with ease. This vision we have in our mind’s eye is the best representation of our heart-minded selves. It is the call of our heart.

When we see this version as our potential rather than a reminder of our shortcomings, we can use it as a way—a tool—to help us move in the direction of our light. Take time throughout the day to bow our head and take three conscious breathes into our heart. Let its current feed us. Remember we are wise.

We are soft. We are brave. Let all other noise stop. Re-enter the kingdom of our heart.

Sarah Blondin is among the top three popular meditation teachers on InsightTimer, and the author of Heart Minded: How to Hold Yourself and Others in Love. Visit SarahBlondin.com.

calendar of events

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Author Lecture/Discussion: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami – 6:30-8:30pm. Across two parallel narratives, Murakami draws readers into a mindbending universe in which Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, a split-brained data processor, a deranged scientist, his shockingly undemure granddaughter, and various thugs, librarians, and subterranean monsters collide to dazzling effect. What emerges is a novel that is at once hilariously funny and a deeply serious meditation on the nature and uses of the mind. Meet in the bistro’s private room; future books will be chosen by the group. Amelia’s Bistro, 187 Warren St, Jersey City. Meetup.com/JC-BookClub/.

Writing for Wellness – Feb 3, 10, 17, 24. 1-2:30pm.

An online support group that fosters expression. Led by a social work professional, writing sessions will cover positive coping skills, self-care journaling, reflection activities and more. All sessions will be live on Zoom and open to adults and young adults. Free. Information and registration: HobokenLibrary.org/Literacy/.

Prenatal Yoga – Through Feb: Mon & Wed, 7:30-8:30pm; Sat, 10-11am. For mammas-to-be, post-natal, and any other women who would like to join. This is a gentle yoga class focusing on areas of the body that ask for extra attention during pregnancy. Each class is tailored for the women in the room and their specific needs and desires. This is a semi-private class (five students maximum), so that each woman can receive personalized attention and support. Come to move, breathe, open the body in preparation for labor and delivery, and simply to connect with other women. $40/ one class, $175/five classes. Celebrate Life Studio, 1200 Park Ave, Hoboken. 201-687-9901. Register: CelebrateLifeStudioHoboken.com.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 Ballet Basics for Youth with Disabilities – Feb 5, 12, 19, 26. 3:30-4pm. Zoom classes for youth with disabilities ages 7 thru 17. These very basic classes are to help encourage physical fitness, enrichment of cognitive and psychological health, social activity, and overall wellness. Attendees under the age of 7 should be accompanied by an adult, and for those who may have difficulty participating on their own, a facilitator is recommended. Kennedy Dancers School. 201-659-2190. KennedyDancers.org.

Modern Dance: Zoom Class for Youth with Disabilities – 4:15-4:45pm. For youth with disabilities ages 7 thru 17. These very basic classes are to help encourage physical fitness, enrichment of cognitive and psychological health, social activity, and overall wellness. Attendees under the age of 7 should be accompanied by an adult, and for those who may have difficulty participating on their own, a facilitator is recommended. Kennedy Dancers School. 201-659-2190.

KennedyDancers.org.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6

Kids Art Classes – Through Feb. 11am-2pm.

Museum Kids Art Classes take place three days a week – Tues, Thurs, Fri – for fun art making in the Museum walkway. Recommended for ages 2-5.

All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Art materials are provided, and adults must wear masks and maintain social distance. Seating available first-come, first-served. Hoboken Historical Museum, 1301 Hudson St, Hoboken. 201-656-2240.

HobokenMuseum.org.

Creative Writing for HS Students – Feb 6, 13, 20.

10-11:30am. This course will offer students the opportunity to get creative with language and have the freedom to choose their own writing project: A slam poetry reading, a collection of flash fiction, a fantasy story, or anything in between. It will develop students’ creativity and own sense of writing style while still enabling them to consider feedback and different perspectives. $56. 161 Newkirk St, Jersey City. To register: 201-360-4260. CGuerra@HCCC.edu. HCCC.edu/ ContinuingEducation.

Microsoft Office Basics – Tue, Thu, Feb 2-18.

6-8pm. This course will give you the basics of some of the most often used Microsoft programs available. Each week you will develop your skills and become a more productive and efficient user. Upon completion of this course, you will have gained foundational skills to complete many Microsoft Office tasks. $85. 161 Newkirk St, Jersey City.

To register: 201-360-4239. AMuniz@HCCC.edu.

HCCC.edu/ContinuingEducation.

Shamanic Sound Journey – 7:30-9pm. In studio & livestream. Leigh Higgins leads a sound immersion for the soul, using vocals and a variety of ancient instruments to shift our inner and outer perspective, helping discover our spirit guides and soul’s path. At the core of this path are experiential practices that lead to a deeper understanding of who we are. By exploring these practices personally and as a community, we learn to access the wisdom of spirit and make changes that enable us to feel fully connected. $25/livestream, $35/in studio. Urban Souls Yoga, 100 Hudson St, Fourth Fl, Hoboken. To register: 201-683-4002. UrbanSoulsYoga.com.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Breathwork Meditation Experience w/ Mary Kate Kelly – 7-8:15pm. A livestream guided journey of using breathwork as an active meditation tool which works to influence mental, emotional and physical states. Practice three-part breathing patterns to help free stuck energy in the mind-body while experiencing how it assists you with the challenge of meditation. $25. Register here: UrbanSoulsYoga.com/ Breathwork-Meditation.

Bayonne Midtown Book Club – 7-8:30pm. Interested in reading good books and discussing them in an open and social environment? The newly formed Bayonne Midtown Book Club will meet the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Come and engage in some lively discussions. Join anytime, this is an ongoing program. Book Club coordinators are Peg Margoshes and Peg Osnato. Questions? Email: BayMidBookGroup@gmail.com. Free. Board room, second floor, Bayonne Free Public Library, 697 Avenue C (Corner of 31st Street), Bayonne.

Basic Life Support Training Certification – Feb 10, 25, Mar 16. BLS for Healthcare Providers uses a scenario-based approach to develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that drive better outcomes for adult, child, and infant patients. Topics include: choking, critical thinking and problem solving, communication and teamwork and many more. $77. Hudson County Community College, 161 Newkirk St, Jersey City. To register: 201-360-4239.

HCCC.edu/ContinuingEducation.

AM High Party – 8-9am. Skip the mundane morning routine and head over to a virtual dance floor with like-minded adults waking up to their best day yet.

AM High Party is a place to connect, move, socialize (virtually for now!), and feel inspired and energized no matter what age! On our “dance floor” strip away the labels of who you think you need to be so you can find who you really are. $10. You will receive a Zoom link to join the party upon registering! 201-687-9901.

Register: CelebrateLifeStudioHoboken.com.

Small Group Prenatal Yoga – Weds, 6-7pm. A socially distanced small group pre-natal studio class, masks required. Gently flowing practice will help to improve circulation, ease digestion, maintain a limber spine, strengthen your uterus and pelvic muscles, and simply make you more at ease throughout your pregnancy.

Plenty of time to share and address common challenges faced over the prenatal journey including nausea, varicose veins, swelling, and back pain. Class is limited to 6 students. You must bring your own mat, blanket and/ or blocks. Sattva Yoga Jersey City, 523 Palisade Ave, Jersey City. 201-839-5242. SattvaYogaJC.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Seasonal Scavenger Hunt – Feb 13-14. Families will receive a digital set of clues through email to independently solve nature riddles along Nature Center trails. Each family will need to work as a team as they hike along the trails to complete the hunt. Program is intended for families with children 4 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Program will be held entirely outdoors. In case of inclement weather, the program will be postponed the program to the following month. Social distancing in effect. Masks required when distance cannot be maintained. Space is limited and pre-registration is recommended. $10/ non-member family, free/member family and children under 2. Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave, Tenafly. 201-568-6093. TenaflyNatureCenter.org.

Couples Brunch – 11am-2pm. Brunch class hits all the right notes with a savory duck confit with bitter greens, decadent créme brûlée french toast, buttery popovers with compound butter, and your classic hash browns. Will demystify the poached egg and cover lots of technique. Mimosas optional. Classes will be reduced capacity with all tables being 6’ apart.

All guests will be required to wear masks until ready for dining. If the weather permits, we will have tables outside for that portion of the evening. Turn your weekend brunch into an interactive experience with someone special. $200 per couple. Hudson Table, 1403 Clinton St, Hoboken. HudsonTable.com.

Galentines Floral Arranging Workshop – 11am-2pm.

Larkspur Botanicals will be guiding guests in creating their own floral arrangement to take home and enjoy.

Pretty in pinks with fresh cut and preserved elements to enjoy for an extended time. First timers welcome, no experience needed. $40. The Cottage, 136 Monticello Ave, Jersey City. 201-200-7067. TheCottageJerseyCity.com.

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Neighborhood Community Dinner – 6-8pm.

Friends and neighbors from around the Hoboken community join for a potluck dinner at Christopher Columbus Gardens (Hoboken Housing entrance in the rear of the 9th St building). The aim is to build relationships, strengthen community, and tear down the walls that needlessly divide us. For more information: MileSquare.Church/Events, or email Hello@MileSquare.Church. Free admission, bring a dish. Christopher Columbus Gardens, 455 9th St, Hoboken. Rev Matt Lytikainen: 201-754-5271.

MileSquareChurch.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14 Sound-Based Stress Reduction II – 3:30-5pm.

Zoom seminar: Why Self-Compassion Matters.

Learn techniques for managing stress and how to use sound anywhere to calm the body and mind; live online sound bath meditation included. Co-facilitated by a registered social worker/psychotherapist and certified sound therapy practitioner, this series will explore ways to reduce stress and provide simple tools for better mental health. Each session will conclude with a live sound bath experience tailored to soothe the central nervous system. $145. Register: SoundResponseWellness.com/Workshops-Events.

Couples Retreat – 6:30-8pm. A three-course evening in for 2! Snuggle up and cook with your sweetie or grab your bestie. You will be preparing an appetizer, entree and dessert for two. Your evening includes 2 ingredient kits, a live class and table settings for a perfect evening, hassle free. Class includes all ingredients, recipes, candle and flowers for a beautiful Valentine’s or Galentine’s night in. At-home ingredient kit & recipe provided by us is delivered to you the Monday prior to scheduled class. $185. Register online: BusyBeeOrganics. com/Product/Cooking-Classes/.

Couples Night Out: Dinner in the Eternal City – 6:30-9:30pm. You will prepare and enjoy dinner like the Romans do. Your classic Italian meal starts with an antipasto, followed by a pasta course, then a traditional meat course. Finish with a creamy tiramisu. Bring your appetites for this one. Classes will be reduced capacity with all tables being 6’ apart. All guests will be required to wear masks until ready for dining. If the weather permits, we will have tables outside for that portion of the evening. $270 per couple. Hudson Table, 1403 Clinton St, Hoboken. HudsonTable.com.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 Filling Hearts with Love Through Meditation – 7-8pm. Arvind Naik offers this engaging virtual workshop on how to incorporate more love and peace in your life for a profound transformation of well-being. Learn how to let go of anger, fear and worry in order to create more harmonious relationships, improve work and home environments, and experience a deep sense of personal peace and love.

The workshop will include a short meditation session. Free. Register online: Bit.LY/3iai8or, or call 732-634-4450. On the day before the program, you will be sent the Zoom meeting information by email.

The Awesome – 7-8:30pm. Leigh Higgins and Brendan Gibbons combine ancient practices and modern science to improve and maintain your vital energy flow. The Awesome combines QiGong, Vigorous Breathing, Body Tapping, and Energy Flow Meditation for tuning into your body’s potential to feel both revitalized and relaxed! It maximizes

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your innate healing and recovery systems, while releasing deeply held stress and stagnant energy. $25/livestream, $35/in studio. Urban Souls Yoga, 100 Hudson St, Fourth Fl, Hoboken. To register: 201-683-4002. UrbanSoulsYoga.com.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21 NJ Virtual Camp Fair – Following extensive consideration and polling of camp directors, NJ Kids’ Camp Fair will be held virtually for the camp season 2021. As with the normal in-person fairs, families will be able to listen to live presentations, watch videos, speak 1-on-1 with camp representatives, sign up for open houses, Q&A, download brochures and even set up future meetings. NJ Camp Fairs has held its annual fairs for the past 35 years and intend to continue this valuable service.

Parents should register now: NJCampFairs.com/ Preregister-Camp-Fair. Barbara Rubin: 732-4698910. NJCampFairs.com.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22 The Science of Natural Healing Masterclass – 7-8pm. Notwithstanding the great strengths of medical science, many people have concerns about key features of our health-care system—among them, the widespread use of medical drugs and a relative deemphasis on preventive care. But traditional Western medicine is not the only healing system rooted in science. Medical systems from other cultures have used natural treatments for centuries.

Free. For full info and access to the workshop: Bit. ly/NaturalHealingMasterclass.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 Intermediate Microsoft Excel – Tue, Thu, Feb 23-Mar 9. 6-8pm. Many people use Excel at home or work, but are not utilizing all its features. This quick course is designed to help maximize productivity by learning some essential, intermediate Excel functions. Students will learn how to create basic formulas, group, sort, and filter data, advanced formatting, and more. $99. 161 Newkirk St, Jersey City. To register: 201-360-4239. AMuniz@hccc. edu. HCCC.edu/ContinuingEducation.

Head Over Heels Yoga – 7:30-9pm. Letting go is the hardest asana. In this workshop, you start with an invigorating flow to get warm and learn how to fall properly. Explore various inversions: Headstand (both tripod and supported), Forearm Stand, and Handstand. Get the tools and proper instructions you need to incorporate these inversions into your daily practice. $25/livestream, $35/in studio. Urban Souls Yoga, 100 Hudson St, Fourth Fl, Hoboken.

To register: 201-683-4002. UrbanSoulsYoga.com.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26 Yin Yoga Training Level II – Feb 26-28. Fri, 126pm; Sat, 10:45am-5pm; Sun, 11am-5pm. Dive deeper into understanding the Yin Yoga system in this ZOOM online Level 1 Yin Yoga teacher training course with Karen Mandell E-RYT 500. Learn the physiological benefits of practicing in a Yin fashion, gain understanding of how the specific Yin tissues are targeted, and the subtle body connection that contributes to the profound healing and groundings aspects of a Yin practice. Investigate the primary Yin yoga poses, pairing postures with intentional guided breath techniques. Participants will receive an in depth, easy-to-follow manual prior to the training. $425, course earns 18 CEUs. Sattva Yoga Jersey City, 523 Palisade Ave, Jersey City. 201-839-5242.

SattvaYogaJC.com.

Moonlight Hike – Feb 26 or 28, 6:30-9:30pm. Discover the magic of hiking at night under a blanket of stars. Experience the landscape bathed in moonlight and learn all about the surrounding ecosystem.

This hike is perfect for all experience levels, but participants age 14 and up should feel comfortable walking on uneven terrain for about 3 hours. You bring the hiking boots. REI will bring headlamps and trekking poles. REI. 201-226-1560. REI.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27 Full Moon Hike for Adults – 7-9pm. A guided 1½-2 hour walk (approximately 1½ miles) along the trails, on a night near the occurrence of a full moon.

Participants will stop for a rest at the crossroads of the Purple and Allison Trail. This peaceful hike encourages reflection and connections with nature allowing hikers to experience the trails after dark.

Program is intended for adults. Please bring a flashlight and wear sturdy closed toed shoes. Program will be held entirely outdoors. In case of inclement weather, the program will be postponed the program to the following month. Social distancing in effect.

Masks required when distance cannot be maintained.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. $10, $5/member. Tenafly Nature Center, 313 Hudson Ave, Tenafly. 201-568-6093. TenaflyNatureCenter.org.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Essentials of Tai Chi and Qigong – 11am-12pm. If you’ve ever seen a group of people moving in exquisitely graceful dance-like exercises in your local park, gym, or community center, you have witnessed the ancient Chinese arts of tai chi (taiji) and qigong. These ordinary people are improving their health, strength, balance, concentration, and mental well-being. You can enjoy all these benefits yourself, regardless of your current level of physical fitness. Free. For full info and access to the workshop: Bit.ly/TaiChiQigongClass.

TUESDAY, MARCH 2 RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles – 8pm. In celebration of the anniversary of Abbey Road, RAIN will bring the greatest hits of this epic recording to life, in addition to all your early Beatles favorites.

This performance takes you back in time with the legendary foursome delivering a note-for-note theatrical event that is “the next best thing to seeing the Beatles.” Experience the worlds’ most iconic band and come celebrate the best of Abbey Road.

Tickets from $49. Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 North Van Brunt St, Englewood. 201-227-1030.

BergenPAC.org.

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

FITNESS

DENTIST LOUIS STEINBERG, DDS, MS

6050 Boulevard E, Ste LE, West New York, NJ 201-662-2020 • DrLMSteinberg.com

PRIME CYCLE HOBOKEN

70 Hudson St, Hoboken, NJ 201-683-6956 • PrimeCycle.com Prime Cycle Hoboken is now offering more than 25 outdoor classes a week—from early morning to midday to evenings, including Saturday and Sunday mornings—on the Hoboken Little League field, on 5th Street.

Biological dentist offering mercury-safe dentistry, Biocompatible Restorative Dentistry and TMJ analysis and treatment. See ad on page 6.

FAMILY ALPHAKEY CLUB

Virtual Based Jersey City, NJ info@alphakey.club • AlphaKey.club A foundation in reading is the classic predictor of academic success. But there are also certain character traits— like confidence, gratitude, integrity and patience—that are critical to success in the classroom and in life.

AlphaKey Club is a holistic educational program and interactive workshops founded by ShalomIsrael Diggs, a Jersey City teacher, dancer and artist, who teaches those foundational qualities right along with the ABCs.

FASHION EMBROIDERED PANDA Jersey City, NJ EmbroideredPanda.com

Embroidered Panda is a minoritywoman-owned business that normally specializes in delightful, thoughtful and sometimes quirky embroidery customized for weddings, babies, and even pets. Owner Amanda “Panda” Farrell also makes masks that are available online, and at Love Locked, 353 Grove Street in Jersey City, a woman-owned small business that features the work of local artists.

ONE/SOL

1422 Grand Street, Suite 3A Hoboken, NJ 201-809-9401 • BeOneSol.com ONE/SOL is a lifestyle boutique devoted to the wellness scene. It offers beautiful clothing and accessories to add confidence and color to someone’s wardrobe, and is also a unique haven for events, bringing all types of people and their fabulous energy together to experience parts of themselves... variations of wellness that can propel them to truly find “what makes their SOL happy”.

PUMP HOBOKEN

401 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken, NJ Boutique Pilates & fitness studio located in midtown Hoboken, offering smallgroup Pilates, reformer, mat classes and one-on-one sessions (virtual until studio re-opens). With a belief that every body is unique, Pump maximizes every workout with dynamic movements that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Strengthen your body and soul and view their virtual schedule.

HEALTHY FOODS BUSY BEE ORGANICS

451 Palisade Ave, Jersey City, NJ 201-656-5065 BusyBeeOrganics.com Chef Michelle Berckes and her team make up Busy Bee Organics, which serves nutritious, immuneboosting eats to the local c o m m u n i t y. T h i s h e a l t h supportive, local eatery offers instore specials, a brand-new cafe menu & limited outdoor seating. With choices to accommodate every dietary restriction and allergy, you can expect to find delicious options for everyone organic, plant based, customizable & 100% gluten-free.

BWÈ KAFE

1002 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 1401 Adams St., Hoboken, NJ 140 River Dr. S, Jersey City, NJ 201-683-0045 • bwekafe.com All three locations serve drink and food menus with several fun and fresh seasonal items. Offering fresh lemonade, housemade lavender coldbrew lattes, green water detox drinks, salads and toasts, bwé kafe is always thinking of creative and tasty drinks to satisfy your health and pallet. They also source and roast their own coffee beans. Order at the door, ahead of time online, or have them deliver right to your home.

CAFE PEANUT

586 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 201-721-6270 CafePeanut.com Funky cafe dedicated to quality foods using locally grown, natural and organic produce.

Menu selections include delicious salads, sandwiches, soups, pastries, and artisan coffees & teas.

GREEN PEAR CAFÉ

93 Grand Street, Hoboken, NJ 201-659-0940 93 Franklin Street, Jersey City, NJ 201-968-7151 GreenPearGroup.com Green Pear Cafe is Hoboken’s healthy and innovative eating destination offering gluten free dishes, house made soups, nut milks and smoothies.Recently opened Jersey City Heights location completed their menu with European classic cuisine featuring AustroHungarian goulash dishes, wide variety of pickles, linzer desserts and much more. For more information, please visit greenpeargroup.com.

KEY FRESH AND NATURAL

574 Jersey Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 201-204-4200 Local grocer offering huge selection of healthy products and quality brand names for the entire family.

Fresh produce with many organic options, quality meats and poultry, organic baby food, grain-free and natural pet foods, non-toxic cleaning products and much more. Save time shopping in one location and get all your grocery needs met at Key Fresh and Natural. Hablamos Espanol. See ad, page 2.

PLANT BASE JC

370 Pacific Ave, Jersey City, NJ 551-256-3868 • PlantBaseMarket.com An ethical, vegan, zerowaste market and restaurant offering a full-vegan, allday food menu, bulk groceries, organic produce, homeopathic wellness products, body care products and household products.

Plant Base is also a strong community hub, known as “the living room for the hood”, where neighbors come together to share knowledge and ideas.

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS ANCHOR THERAPY

HARMONY DISPENSARY

95 Hudson Street, Hoboken, NJ HarmonyDispensary.org Harmony creates pure, consistent modern medicine.

This medical marijuana dispensary satellite location is an off-shoot of their flagship location is in Secaucus, NJ.

223 Bloomfield St, Ste. 121, Hoboken, NJ 201-565-2275 • AnchorTherapy.org Therapy is the anchor that holds life together through choppy waters. Anchor Therapy specializes in helping teens and adults through these times. Their experience and professional skills help clients feel better sooner.

Call for a free consultation.

ACUPUNCTURE ATELIER

1321 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 201-708-8577 • AcupunctureAtelier.com Acupuncture Atelier offers undivided personalized attention during each and every session. Sara and Samia pride themselves on being unique and adaptable. Treatments may include acupuncture, reiki, aromatherapy, moxibustion, cupping, auricular therapy, as well as ancient Shamanic healing methods.

HABIT DISRUPTION THERAPY

Kevin Munhall m.AmSAT Hoboken, NJ 316-461-7660 • HabitDisruption.com Identify the seemingly harmless habits of tension that we all carry with us throughout the day that can lead to aches, pains, and injury.

Specialist, Kevin Munhall, will help relieve this tension and teach you how to move in line with how you are designed, with freedom and ease. By changing these habits, you are able to get to the root of the issue and can address what actually causes the pain instead of waiting for it to arrive.

HOBOKEN CHIROPRACTIC + WELLNESS

BABY STEPS PEDIATRICS

Dr. Carmen H. Lebron 75 Montgomery Street, Ste. 401 Jersey City, NJ 201-600-4306 • LebronPeds@gmail.com BabyStepsPediatrics.com Carmen Lebron is a fun-loving and creative pediatrician in downtown Jersey City. Our clinical approach is holistic, giving attention not just to medical issues, but integrating all aspects of the social and family environment. Dr. Lebron is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, and is a clinical homeopath.

Dr. Laura Brayton/Dr. Olga Alvarez 113 Monroe Street, Hoboken, NJ 201-792-3544 • HobokenChiro.com Family wellness practice, specializing in pediatrics and maternity, that strongly believe in the body’s innate intelligence and ability to heal itself when blockages to the healing process are removed.

Utilizing chiropractic, soft tissue techniques, allergy elimination, nutrition/ supplements, and massage, health is restored and maintained for optimal wellness.

INSPIRED TO HEALTH

85 Maple Street #3L, Weehawken, NJ 201-344-6448 • InspiredToHealth.net

FOOT AND ANKLE PREMIER SPECIALISTS

Dr. Juliana Paternina 70 Hudson St, Hoboken, NJ 201-659-5222 • FootandAnklePS.com Dr. Juliana Paternina, is a boardcertified Foot and Ankle Reconstructive Surgeon. She provides compassionate and comprehensive care for both adult and pediatric patients with any type of foot and ankle needs. She is well known for being thorough and for having a holistic approach.

Specialties include dermatologic foot conditions, any foot and ankle deformities including bunions and hammertoes, chronic nerve pain, sports-related injuries including heel pain, fractures, sprains, and treatment of diabetic foot complications. See ad, page 23.

Dedicated to helping women destress and lead more healthful lives, Lorraine Giordano offers the following treatments: Quantum To u c h , Q u a n t u m E n e r g y Transformation, Reiki, Quantum Allergy Release, Age Clearing and Energy Medicine. Also specializing in helping women with female reproductive issues and helping them connect to their sacral chakra; an energetic center linked to emotions, self-care, creativity and passion. She also offers Akashic Record readings. Quantum Energy healing activates the innate intelligence of the body to heal itself but shifting energy at the cellular level. Call today and learn more about these specialized services and treatments helping women heal.

There’s no substitute for a great love who says, "No matter what’s wrong with you, you’re welcome at this table." ~Tom Hanks 34

Hudson County

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JACQUIE BIRD, SPIRITUAL WELLNESS JacquieBirdWellness.com

Jacquie Bird, Spiritual Wellness offers products and services that, support, guide and empower the individual. She is the author of the 7 Daily Thoughts & Mantras 4 Mindfulness eBook series; the Creator/Practitioner of Stress Busters Guided Meditations; she creates guided meditation as well as meditation music called SoundSoulVibin’ and is the Owner/Creator of the handmade wellness brand MODAL VISIONS, which is rooted in the energetically dynamic properties of gemstones, crystals and copper. Jacquie is also the Creator and host of the podcast Roll With Peace, In Mind. Her entire platform and intent is in mindfulness, personal growth, stress relief and stress management – in essence, how we can live more calm, centered, grounded and meaningful lives.

JC BUMP AND BABY Jersey City, NJ JCBumpAndBaby.com

JC Bump and Baby connects moms through support groups, yoga classes and workshops.

LEAH CRESCENZO

917-525-3477 • HeyLeahC.com Transformative healer who utilizes the powerful tools of Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) and Hypnotherapy to improve everything from emotional to physical conditions.

LOTUS GENESIS WELLNESS CENTER 7000 JFK Boulevard East Galaxy Mall, Ste. M-15, Guttenberg, NJ 201-210-4764 • LotusGenesis.com

A holistic sanctuary offering a team of healers, therapists, mind-body experts and a naturopathic doctor, who combine various modalities from energy healing, diet and nutrition, to hypnotherapy and body work. Lotus Genesis offers a full line of wellness services, from detox and weight-loss programs, to caring for more complex medical issues. Their unique focus and approach to addressing root causes allows for rapid and long-term wellness. See ad, page 25.

MIND BODY HOBOKEN

51 Newark Street, Ste. 402, Hoboken, NJ 201-994-3500 • MindBodyHoboken.com Mind Body Hoboken works with individuals, corporate teams and small business owners to find balance in their personal and professional life. Finding the calm and peace in life is essential to balancing out the “fight or flight” response caused by stress. Founder/ practitioner Jennifer Araneo utilizes neurolinguistic programming, hypnosis, meditation and reiki to help clients find the Zen in their lives.

MINDFUL PLAY YOGA

646-552-2982 MindfulPlayYoga@gmail.com Mindful Play Yoga brings out the kid in all of us by working with children, adults & caregivers through mindfulness, play & yoga to see the best in everyone. MPY is committed to inspiring children ages 3 -15 & families to be curious life-long learners.

OLEVIA METRY, MD

Family Medicine 108 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 201-656-5688 • Linktr.ee/Dr_Olevia Dr. Olevia Metry is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician who grew up in Florida and has made Hoboken home for 3 years. She’s passionate about preventative medicine, lifestyle medicine, women’s health and diabetes.

RISE COACHING

Kelly Bonell West New York Kelly@YouWillRise.co • YouWillRise.co Serving ambitious professionals who strivie to live their best life, but sometimes get weighed down with stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and that ‘stuck’ feeling. RISE helps clients to close the gap between stagnation and success by expanding what their mind sees as possible, helping them release limiting beliefs, and accelerating their growth. Kelly Bonell is a trained life coach who provides her clients a non-judgmental, inclusive, and trauma informed space to empower them to rise to new heights. Virtual sessions available.

SALVATION WELLNESS

521 Jersey Ave, Jersey City, NJ 551-689-0763 • SalvationWellness.com Salvation Wellness is a multiservice wellness center that offers services such as massage, meditation, yoga classes and sauna sessions. It also sells a variety of personal care products, including CBD bath and body items. Co-founders Celia and Andres Pender have lived in Jersey City for more than a decade. They both have been dedicated to holistic health studies and deductive, science-based, natural healing for more than two decades.

They who sing through the summer must dance in the winter. ~Italian Proverb

THE GREEN ROOM

64 Newark Street, Hoboken, NJ 20 Church Street, Montclair, NJ TheGreenRoomNJ.com Hoboken and Montclair’s first CBD shops that provide both in-person and online shopping.

Owner Darek Michael offers education and high-quality products. The Green Room is open 7 days a week, from 11am10pm in Hoboken and 11am-8pm in Montclair.

VIDA-FLO HOBOKEN

131 Washington St, Hoboken, NJ 201-683-3222 • VidaFloHoboken.com Vida-Flo services offer IV hydration treatments, essential gains, advanced gains, injectable treatments & oxygen.

All treatments are provided by trained nurses in a clean medical spa environment for your comfort.

9.

LANGUAGE

LEARN LANGUAGE HOBOKEN

450 7th Street, Hoboken, NJ 201-253-0035 • LearnLanguageHoboken.com At Learn Language Hoboken, you will be provided with the tools necessary to take your language skills to the next level. Whether you’re just starting out, or are a seasoned linguist, LLH is the place for you. We offer Adult Group Language Courses and Private Language Lessons to Kids and Adults in Italian, French, Spanish, Hindi and Mandarin. We also offer on-site Language Enrichment to local schools in Hoboken and surrounding areas. Learning a new language is closer than you think!

OUTDOORS A SMALL GREEN SPACE Jersey City, NJ ASmallGreenSpace.com

A Small Green Space is an urban garden design firm, specializing in designing, installing and maintaining small city spaces.

PETS GALLA WELLNESS

Florentina Galla, Rdh.MS GallaWellness.com Florentina has been using holistic care and reiki healing for decades and now is providing that for pets. She provides pet healing and holistic pet nutrition. She’s using gentle touching if an area is in pain after trauma and to reduce the healing time; she offers customized nutrition and supplement needs to manage stress and weight gain based on the pets need. She is a regular volunteer at North Star Animal Rescue and is the author of Confessions of a Holistic Hygienist in a New Era of Wellness.

HOLISTIC PET CARE

125 Paterson Avenue, Little Falls, NJ 973-256-3899 • HolisticPetCareNJ.com Holistic Pet Care of Little Falls provides guidance on optimum diet and environment, and how to minimizing negative elements/toxins to keep your pet healthier and living longer. Holistic and complementary modalities include acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, homeopathy, bach flow remedies, herbal therapies (western, chinese & ayurvedic), nutritional therapy, ozone therapy, cold laser therapy, and reiki for addressing problems and for preventive care.

MEOW MINI MART

Sherry Cassin Hello@MeowMiniMart.com MeowMiniMart.com

Online cat boutique featuring unique and sustainably made fashion pet collars, home and kitchen gifts, cat toys and wellness products. See charming and sophisticated collections created by artisans and designers who love all animals, especially cats! A percentage of every sale is donated to local cat rescue groups to help pay the vet bills.

PAWTANICALS

7622 Broadway, North Bergen, NJ 201-520-3036 • Pawtanicals.com Pawtanicals was established to give pet owners the accessibility of washing their pets without space constraints–as they normally would do at home in their bath tubs. It allows for pet owners to create a stronger bonding experience while simultaneously making their pets feel safe and secure having their owners personally wash them.

THE CUDDLY BOUTIQUE TheCuddlyBoutique.com

Founded by pet parents, Tom & Kimberley Bueno-Schonig of The Cuddly Cottage pet sitting service, the Cuddly Boutique is an online pet store that sells a variety of special gifts from cozy sweaters to unique toys.

Their promise is that The Cuddly Boutique products will give your pet that “this is the best gift ever” look in their eyes and give you that warm and cuddly feeling in your heart.

SKINCARE SEAZEN SOAP Hoboken, NJ SeazenSoap.com

Handmade local luxury products for your skin. The Seazen Soap company specializes in natural soaps, skin butter and CBD products.

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