Tallahassee Natural Awakenings October 2010

HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET feel good live simply laugh more

FREE

Special Edition

HEALTHY PLANET What We Need to Do Now

Transition Towns

Where Sustainable Living Is Real

Bill McKibben On: How to Be a

CLIMATE

HERO

WAYS TO GO

VEGAN Put More Plants on Your Plate

OCTOBER 2010 | Tallahassee, South Georgia, Gulf Coast | www.natallahassee.com natural awakenings

October 2010

1

Buy into your

community

… Support our advertisers contact us Publisher Donna L. Konuch

There’s more than one way to

MANAGE PAIN.

Editor Donna L. Konuch Design & Production Susan McCann jaxgraphicdesign.net Advertising Sales Donna L. Konuch 850-590-7024 Natural Awakenings Tallahassee 3767 Greyfield Dr Tallahassee, Fl 32311 Phone: 850-590-7024 Fax: 850-270-67NA (6762) natallahassee@yahoo.com www.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com www.NATallahassee.com

That’s why we use the Integrative Approach.

At Archbold’s Integrative Medicine center, we have a special Pain Management emphasis on Fibromyalgia, Headaches, Arthritis, Neck and Back Pain.

For more information, call 229.228.7008 or visit us at www.archbold.org/integrative.

Acupuncture | ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂů WƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ | DĂƐƐĂŐĞ EƵƚƌŝƟŽŶĂůͬ,ĞƌďĂů ĂŶĚ sŝƚĂŵŝŶ ^ƵƉƉůĞŵĞŶƚ dŚĞƌĂƉLJ | WŚLJƐŝĐĂů dŚĞƌĂƉLJ WƐLJĐŚŽůŽŐŝĐĂů ǀĂůƵĂƟŽŶƐͬ ŽƵŶƐĞůŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ^ƚƌĞƐƐ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ dƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů ŚŝŶĞƐĞ DĞĚŝĐŝŶĞ | WĂŝŶ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ | zŽŐĂ ůĂƐƐĞƐ

ƌĐŚďŽůĚ /ŶƚĞŐƌĂƟǀĞ DĞĚŝĐŝŶĞ

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

Natural Awakenings is a free publication distributed locally and is supported by our advertisers. It is available in selected stores, health and education centers, healing centers, public libraries and wherever free publications are generally seen. Please call for a location near you or if you would like copies placed at your business.

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

We welcome your ideas, articles and feedback.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions are available for $18 (for 12 issues). Please call 850-590-7024 with credit card information or mail a check, payable to Natural Awakenings­–Tallahassee, to the above address.

Natural Awakenings is printed on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink.

2705- C East Pinetree Boulevard Thomasville, GA 31792

2

© 2010 by Natural Awakenings. All rights reserved.

Although some parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that prior permission be obtained in writing.

www.natallahassee.com

contents 31

7 inspiration

8 healthbriefs

12 healingways 14 consciouseating

8

17 wisewords

24 naturalpet 25 greenliving

28 fitbody 32 ecobriefs 36 ongoingcalendar

22 18

37 classfieds

Natural Awakenings is your guide to a healthier, more balanced life. In each issue readers find cutting-edge information on natural health, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, creative expression and the products and services that support a healthy lifestyle.

7 ECO-FILM PICKS

12

Movies With a Message Worth Watching

12 BETTER BREAST

HEALTH Make Prevention a Daily Habit

by Beth Davis

14 ON THE VEGAN TRAIL Why People Are Putting More Plants on Their Plates 14

by Kristin Ohlson

17 A CONVERSATION

WITH JIM HIGHTOWER Acclaimed Columnist,

Commentator and Populist

by Ellen Mahoney

18 BE A CLIMATE HERO Act Up. Act Now.

28

by Bill McKibben

24 PUMPKIN FOR PETS

by Morieka V. Johnson

28 EXERCISE FOR

SPINE HEALTH Smart Training Beats Back Pain

by Michael Curran

Namasté Yoga of Tallahassee

Daily classes in a variety of yoga traditions, taught by our wonderful certified teachers. All classes focus on integrating body, breath, mind and spirit, while building strength, promoting self-awareness, and cultivating compassion.

1369 East Lafayette Street, Tallahassee (near New Leaf Market)

(850) 222-0003 • www.namaste-tallahassee.com 1369 East Lafayette Street

natural awakenings

October 2010

3

letterfromthepublisher To put it more positively: If we can remove the needle from our arm that feeds society’s addiction to petroleum products, many of our other troubles would begin to wane.

– Bill McKibben

T

hat quote really grabbed me when I read it in our feature article on page 18 entitled Be A Climate Hero. Act Up. Act Now. Bill McKibben has been deemed the world’s best green journalist by Time magazine. His article mentioning environmentalism in China really struck a chord with me. If you read my last two editorial letters, you know I recently adopted a 5 year old girl from China, and my family and I spent almost three weeks there during August and September.

We saw China’s commitment to green living, and its pollution first hand.

On the bright side, nearly every new building we saw had a solar powered water heater on the roof. Here in the U.S., I’ve never seen one, and solar panels of any kind are rare.

McKibben also points out that China now has surpassed the U.S. as the world’s largest energy user. We also saw the effects of this first hand. In three days in Beijing, we did not see blue sky once. Instead, we saw an opaque orange haze downtown. Two hours travel outside of Beijing the haze was still visible. My husband attended college in California and has visited Los Angeles often during the last 30 years. He told me Beijing’s smog was much worse than Los Angeles even on its worst day. We’re told China’s economy is doing fine.

But, how much money is it worth to you to be able to see the blue sky?

In GuangZhou and Heifei, cities south and west of Beijing, we did see blue sky. Unlike Beijing, in those cities, pedestrians and scooters outnumbered cars.

At rush hour, the roads and even sidewalks are thick with scooters. Imagine each member of the crowd at an FSU football game all driving scooters at once through downtown Tallahassee, and you’ll have an idea of how crowded China is. Now imagine each of those people driving a car instead of a scooter. It’s no surprise that China recently suffered through a traffic jam that lasted several weeks. If everyone in China traded scooters for cars, the environmental impact would be immense.

In the 1940s and 50s, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania became dark in the afternoon from steel mill smoke, with public buildings routinely stained black with soot. Today, steel plants and their smoke are gone, the post offices and museums cleaned to a natural brown color, and the sky clear. Environmental progress is possible. The 10/10/10 rallies mentioned on pages 22 are a good way to get started.

We loved our stay in China, but it was a huge relief to return to a place where you can drink the tap water out of any faucet, walk on acres of green grass and where we take viewing a beautiful blue sky for granted. I hope that the articles in this month’s issue will give you the motivation and information you need to make the right choices for our local environment. The Earth can be saved – one community at a time.

4

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

advertising & Submissions How to Advertise

To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 850-590-7024 or natallahassee@yahoo. com. Deadline for ad space reservation for the November issue is Tuesday, October 12.

News Briefs and article submissions

Email articles, news items and ideas to: natallahassee@yahoo.com. Deadline for editorial for the November issue is Tuesday, October 5.

calendar submissions

Email calendar events to: natallahassee@ yahoo.com or fax to 850-270-6762. Please see page 31 for details Calendar deadline for November issue is Sunday, October 10.

regional markets

Advertise your products or services in multiple markets! Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp. is a growing franchised family of locally owned magazines serving communities since 1994. To place your ad in other markets call 1-239-449-8309. For franchising opportunities call 1-239-5301377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsMag.com.

er b m ove N g in n i Com

LIVING SIMPLY

A “Sense”ational Workout

“A

ctivating the body sense during exercise enhances its benefits,” says Alan Fogel, Professor of Psychology at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City in Psychology Today, “because the body sense activates neural networks that link the brain to the body for the purpose of selfregulation.

Although there are several exercises that focus on body awareness, NIA (Neuromuscular Integrative Action) is a cardiovascular workout that incorporates a variety of healing and exhilarating movements. Developed by Debbie and Carlos Rosas in 1983, NIA is practiced in bare feet to “sense”ational music and combines elements of tai chi, aikido, modern dance, Feldenkrais, and yoga, among other methods. “Using the sounds and silences of music, students experience feeling the sense of joy in movement in a way that encourages an embodied self-awareness of agility, mobility, stability, flexibility, and strength,” says Fogel.

In Tallahassee, you can practice NIA at Sweat Therapy Fitness Studios with certified White Belt instructor, Lori Danello Roberts. “Sweat Therapy is a great place for Nia,” says Roberts, “because you REALLY work up a sweat.”

NIA is for people of any fitness level and any age. “You work at your own pace and in your own body’s way,” says Roberts. “NIA gently works each muscle, tendon, and fascia tissue in the body without pounding on any joints—it is a great program for people healing an injury or adjusting for issues like Fibromyalgia or Osteoporosis.” Practicing NIA is a great way to boost the immune system, reduce stress, and regain creative energy. Roberts says, “Students frequently notice that they can come to a NIA class feeling a little down, and within the hour their entire mood shifts.”

Learn more about NIA at www.TallahasseeNIA.com. The class schedule is available at www.SweatTherapyFitness.com. Sweat Therapy Fitness Studios are located at Manor@Midtown on the corner of Thomasville Road and 5th Avenue.

Dining in the Dark

O

n Sunday, October 24, experience a decadent three-course meal as you may never have before – without your sight. Your evening begins with a reception on the first floor of the University Center Club from 4:30-5:30pm with Honorary Hosts Mike and Rep. Michelle Vasilinda, live music, a cash bar, and basket raffle. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a training on “How to Walk, Sit & Eat in the Dark” to prepare you for your adventure.

Then from 5:30-8pm, dinner is served in the third floor ballroom in pitch black darkness by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team with their night vision goggles. Your remaining senses will be stimulated to savor the smell, taste and texture of your dining experience.

After dinner, from 8-8:30pm, the lights come back on for a presentation by Board Member Christopher Thomas about his journey into blindness, the raffle drawing and presentation of the Paula Bailey “Inspirational Community Member Award.”

Ultimately, this unique dinner will expand your understanding of what individuals who are blind experience throughout their lives and raise funds to help people with vision loss through your local non-profit, Lighthouse of the Big Bend ~ Guiding People Through Vision Loss.

MusicFest 2010 Benefits Refuge House

U

nity Eastside and community friends presents MusicFest 2010: Sounds of Hope, A Benefit for Refuge House, on Sunday, October 17th from Noon to 5:00 p.m. on the grounds of Unity Eastside Church.

This second annual event will feature four hours of music by well-known, local artists. Performers on the two stages will include Sir Charles Atkins and his Blues Band, Harvest Gypsies, Mark Russell, The New 76ers and many more. There will also be fabulous food, a silent auction, seated massages, art vendors, and fun activities for both children and adults. It is a non-religious, community event.

Since 1979, Refuge House has provided safe shelter and related services for women and children escaping abuse. “With MusicFest, I am combining the energy and resources of myself and others to financially support the work of Refuge House, so that their help will be available to other women, as it was to me,” says Linda Collins, Creator and Event Coordinator for MusicFest. “With the increase in reports of domestic violence coupled with some reduction in funding, Refuge House resources are stretched thin. We’re hoping that MusicFest will help fill the gaps in their budget.” Admission tickets for adults and children are available at Beethoven & Co., MusicMasters and Crystal Connection, from volunteers and online at www.MusicFestTally. org. Proceeds from the event go to Refuge House.

Unity Eastside is located at 8551 Buck Lake Road in Tallahassee. For more information about MusicFest: Sounds of Hope, please visit www.

MusicFestTally.org, visit us on Facebook or write to MusicFest@UnityEastside.org.

natural awakenings

October 2010

5

How Connecting are Your Communications?

I

f “violent” means acting in ways that result in harm, then much of how we communicate — with moralistic judgments, evaluations, criticisms, demands, coercion, or labels of “right” versus “wrong” — could indeed be called violent.

Unaware of the impact, we judge, label, criticize, command, demand, threaten, blame, accuse and ridicule. Speaking and thinking in these ways often leads to inner wounds, which in turn often evolve into depression, anger or physical violence.

Sadly, many of the world’s cultures teach these “violent” methods of communication as normal and useful, so many of us find our communication efforts painful and distressed, but we don’t know why.

The concepts and tools of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) are designed to help us think, listen and speak in ways that awaken compassion and generosity within ourselves and between each other. NVC helps us interact in ways that leave each of us feeling more whole and connected.

It ensures that our motivations for helping ourselves, and each other, are not from fear, obligation or guilt, but because helping becomes the most fulfilling activity we can imagine.

With its focus on interpersonal communication skills, a casual observer might suppose that the NVC process is only applicable to relationships or conflict resolution. Yet people who practice the NVC process quickly discover its transformational impact in every area of the human experience — including transforming our classrooms and organizations, improving productivity in the workplace, transforming anger and emotional pain, and creating efficient, empowering organizational structures.

Dr. Cindy Bigbie will be offering a 6-session workshop, beginning on October 5, 2010, designed to give participants both knowledge and experience with the building blocks of the NVC process. Individuals with varied NVC backgrounds are welcome. For more information, please contact Dr. Cindy Bigbie at 850-216-1061 or OPI@tallynet. com.

6

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

Natural Awakenings Launches New Health Network

N

atural Awakenings Publishing Corp., whose signature Natural Awakenings magazines support sustainable, healthy living, is launching an innovative, cost-saving, green and healthy living network. The new Natural Awakenings Network (NAN) will allow members to obtain membership cards that will provide discounts on products and services focused on wellness; green and sustainable living; and natural, healthy lifestyles.

NAN’s extensive network in 88 territories across the nation will encompass practitioners of alternative and complementary medicine, including chiropractic, naturopathy, acupuncture, body work and energy work, as well as health and fitness clubs, health food stores, yoga centers, bookstores, green and sustainable living products, spas and vegetarian/healthy restaurants, and much more.

Members will enjoy discounts ranging from 5 to 50 percent on products and services offered through NAN providers and can choose individual or family programs. Additional benefits include an annual Natural Awakenings subscription, a newsletter, and access to NAN’s website and free customer service support.

Company founder and CEO Sharon Bruckman says, “We rejoice that the wellness revolution is in full swing, propelled by the kind of people who read our magazines and website. Natural Awakenings Network is our next step in helping people map out alternate routes to healthier, happier, longer lives.”

Celebrating Autumn and Helping Make Dreams Come True for Those Without a Home

A

n Autumn Celebration under the oaks at the Goodwood Museum offers a delightful evening of music, food, and celebration of dreams come true. The Celebration will be on Friday, October 29, 5:30-10:00PM, at the Goodwood Museum’s Carriage House. The event is a benefit for the Big Bend Homeless Coalition, where innovative programs help families and individuals move out of homelessness and into homes.

The Autumn Celebration will feature live music, including jazz during the reception from 5:30 to 7:00, followed by dancing with the popular ACME Rhythm & Blues from 7:30 to 10:00. During the 7:00-7:30 intermission, guests will enjoy a short program featuring Homeless Coalition success stories. Delight your taste buds with Low Country cuisine featuring heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Check your number for hard to resist raffle items. Arrive anytime and join the party!

The stylish Bags for HOPE will also be available, in case holidays are on your mind. Bags for HOPE are distinctive bags designed and sewn by volunteers out of donated materials. The proceeds of bag sales benefit the children of HOPE Community, the Homeless Coalition’s transitional housing program for families and individuals moving out of homelessness and into income, health, and stable housing.

Tickets are $25 and may be purchased online at www.bigbendhc.org or at the door. For information about event sponsorships and donating raffle items, please contact Susan Pourciau at spourciau@bigbendhc.org or 850-205-6005.

www.natallahassee.com

inspiration

ECO-FILM PICKS

Movies with a Message Worth Watching

A

s movie-making technology has become less expensive and more accessible, eco-films have exploded onto the scene.

While companies like National Geographic and Discovery Channel continue to contribute high-quality nature films, independent ecofilmmakers are also releasing inspired films almost by the day. Because most of these movies run less than 90 minutes, they have become sought-after teaching tools for family movie nights, school classrooms and readers looking for a break from books.

It was a tough call, but after reviewing 50 standouts, Natural Awakenings picked five films highly favored for their clear message, entertainment value and motivating call to action.

FOOD, INC.: Producers present the whole enchilada when it comes to understanding what we eat and the implications of our food choices. Beyond a plateful of facts, it’s also packed with entertaining graphics. The climax answers the inevitable viewer question: “This is an appalling situation, but what can I do about it?” Attention parents: There is a documentary-style scene showing mistreatment of an ailing cow to fast-forward through; otherwise, the coast is clear. (FoodIncMovie.com)

TAPPED: Filmmakers tackle two significant issues facing the modern world: the emerging scarcity of water and the staggering quantity of plastic bottle waste. Images of the Texas-sized floating island of garbage in the middle of the Pacific Ocean will make us think seriously about kicking the bottled water habit for good. (TappedTheMovie.com)

A COMMUNITY OF GARDENERS: Anyone taking up the first lady’s call to home vegetable gardening will revel in this film’s portrayal of the many ways local gardens provide communities with gifts of food, knowledge, empowerment and reconciliation. A Community of Gardeners shows that local gardening is so much more than a labor-intensive solution to the ills of the

manufactured-food industry; it is also good for the soul. (Community OfGardeners.com)

THE END OF THE LINE: Much as the eco-film standard bearer, An Inconvenient Truth, sounds the alert on global warming, The End of the Line reports on the troubled state of the rapid decline of the fish stocks that feed the world. Similarly, the film highlights how viewers’ everyday choices can stop contributing to the problem.

(EndOfTheLine.com)

FUEL: Civilization’s era of crude oil and other fossil fuels is rapidly coming to a close, while the future of energy has yet to be written. The replacement technologies for alternative sustainable energies are already understood, if not widely promoted. Many are ready to be put to work now and await only our adoption. Next-generation technologies also beckon. Fuel, a Hollywood-style documentary featuring such environmental spokespersons as Woody Harrelson and Sheryl Crow, proves that the future of energy is as much about imagination and creativity as it is about kilowatt-hours. (TheFuelFilm.com) Contributors include Michael Curran, health writer, and Michael D’Estries, film reviewer.

More Great Films Black Gold: A Film about Coffee and Trade on the economics of coffee BlackGoldMovie.com

Garbage Warrior on truly sustainable housing GarbageWarrior.com

Blue Gold: World Water Wars on the politics of water BlueGold-WorldWaterWars.com

King Corn on the great American corn diet KingCorn.net

Dirt! The Movie on the vital role of healthy soil DirtTheMovie.org

The Last Beekeeper on the global bee crisis PlanetGreen.Discovery.com

Dive! on American food waste DiveTheFilm.com

No Impact Man on implementing sustainable living NoImpactDoc.com

Everything’s Cool on environmentalism in politics EverythingsCool.org Flow on the world water crisis FlowTheFilm.com

Ripe for Change on the economics of agriculture CaliforniaDreamSeries.org/rfc.htm

natural awakenings

October 2010

7

Want a More Natural Approach?

Stubborn Health Problems?

Call Today!

We can help find solutions for: Hormone Balance Reflux and digestion Blood pressure and sugar Allergies and Immune Fatigue • Arthritis General Medical Care

Stubborn health problems? healthbriefs

Why

Want a more natural approach?

We can help find Germs solutions for: People Need

P

arents should ease up on antibactex Hormone Balance rial soaps and wipes and perhaps allow their little ones romp or two in x Reflux and adigestion the mud—or at least more of an acquainx Blood pressure sugara tance with everyday germs,and suggests Northwestern University long-term study. x Allergies and in Immune Exposure to germs childhood, the researchers observe, helps develop the x system Fatigueand may help prevent immune Elizabeth Markovich cardiovascular and other diseases in x General Medical Carethey Nurse Practitioner adulthood.

Such early exposure, Also: Hypnosis and Acupuncture with Dr. I.B. Price note, promotes the body’s own ability Massage with Angele LaGrave, LMT x Arthritis to regulate inflammation, a root cause Nutrition Consult with Leah Gilbert-Henderson associated with many diseases.

“Now, for the first time in the history of our species, our bodies are being Visit our website www.ihcfl.com Most insurances deprived of exposure to those everyday germs because we live in accepted! such a sanitary environment,” explains lead author Thomas McDade, of Northwestern. “Think Callfrom us the today! about the immune system as [one] that needs information environment to guide its development and function; if you live in a rich microbial environment, you get exposed to lots of germs, and that helps your immune system develop.”

Integrative Healthcare

An Apple A Day

T Elizabeth Markovich Nurse Practitioner -

Hypnosis and Acupuncture with Dr. I.B. Price -

Massage with Angele LaGrave, LMT -

Nutritionist, Leah Gilbert-Henderson, PhD.

Integrative Healthcare

850.878.4434 www.ihcfl.com

*Most insurances accepted!

8

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

(850) 878-4434

here’s truth in the adage that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Research published in the open access journal BMC Microbiology contributes to our understanding of why apples are good for us.

Microbiologists from the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark fed rats a diet rich in whole apples or apple juice, purée or pomace. Another group of lab animals was put on a control diet. The researchers then analyzed the animals’ digestive systems to see if eating apples had any impact on the amount of friendly bacteria in their gut.

“We found that rats eating a diet high in pectin, a component of dietary fiber in apples, had increased amounts of certain bacteria that may improve intestinal health,” says co-researcher Andrea Wilcks.

“It seems that when apples are eaten regularly and over a prolonged period of time, these bacteria help produce short-chain fatty acids that provide ideal pH conditions for ensuring a beneficial balance of microorganisms. They also produce a chemical called butyrate, which is an important fuel for the cells of the intestinal wall.” Ultimately, a healthy digestive tract translates into a stronger immune system.

Source: BioMed Central, 2010 www.natallahassee.com

How Sugar Feeds Cancer

R

esearchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah have uncovered new information about the notion that sugar “feeds” tumors. While it’s accepted that tumor cells use a lot more glucose (a simple sugar) than normal cells, the new study sheds light on how this process takes place and might be stopped.

The researchers discovered that during both normal and cancerous cell growth, a cellular process takes place that involves both glucose and glutamine, a common amino acid found in many foods. Glucose and glutamine, both essential for cell growth, were thought to operate independently.

This groundbreaking research now shows not only that they are interdependent, but that restricting glutamine works to stop the utilization of glucose. Essentially, if glutamine is absent, the cell is short-circuited, due to a lack of glucose; thus, it suggests a new way to halt the growth of tumor cells. The researchers hope that their findings will lead to more effective cancer treatment therapies.

Ginger Eases Muscle Pain

For centuries, ginger root has been used as a folk remedy for various ailments, including colds and upset stomachs. Now, researchers at the University of Georgia have found that daily ginger consumption also reduces muscle pain caused by exercise. Ginger that’s been heated, as by cooking, might even increase the root’s pain-relieving effects.

Collage Retreat Ancestral Freedom

“Free our Ancestors, Free Ourselves”

School Nutrition Gets a Boost

L

ong-awaited child nutrition legislation known as the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act unanimously passed the Senate in August before moving on to the House, where passage is also expected. National child nutrition programs were set to expire September 30.

Remarks Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, “Put simply, [the bill] will get junk food out of, and put more healthy food into, America’s schools.”

The $4.5 billion, applied over the next decade, would enable school cafeterias to overhaul their menus and provide updated, healthier choices, supporters explain. News sources report that it would provide schools with their first increase in the costs of providing meals since 1973.

The package would also establish new nutritional standards on all food offered on campuses—including items in vending machines.

FreshVending.com has proven that it’s possible to mechanically vend more than 400 natural and organic foods that meet school nutrition requirements and corporate wellness initiatives. Current offerings include 100-percent juices, smoothies, fruits and vegetables.

Become a Light Balancing Master   



Collage Readings & Custom Retreats

               

living human life in a spirited way

    

Saturday October 23, 2010

1-5 pm, Tallahassee FL details www.liciaberry.com $59 to Register - call 661-9370

s

natural awakenings

October 2010

9

Tidier House, Fitter Body

A

new study at Indiana University suggests that how tidy we keep our home can also indicate how fit we are. That conclusion was based on an examination of the domestic habits of 998 urban AfricanAmericans, ages 49 to 65, that found a correlation between the interior condition, or cleanliness, of a participant’s residence and their level of physical activity. Remarks researcher NiCole Keith, “If you spend your day dusting, cleaning, doing laundry, you’re active.”

If a child lives with approval, he learns to live with himself. ~ Dorothy Law Nolte

Pesticides Can Contribute to ADHD

A team of scientists from the University of Montreal and Harvard University have discovered that exposure to organophosphate pesticides may be associated with increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Exposure to organophosphates, they report, might affect neural systems in ways that contribute to ADHD behaviors such as inattention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

10

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

natural awakenings

October 2010

11

healingways

BETTER BREAST

HEALTH

Make Prevention a Daily Habit

by Beth Davis

F

or some women, the thought of Embrace Fish Oil The National Cancer Institute breast cancer elicits fears related According to a recent report in to body image, surgery and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers estimates that roughly one-third & Prevention, women who regularly mortality. It has likely affected every woman in this country, either through included a fish oil supplement in their of all cancer deaths may be the trauma of personal experience or diet had a 32 percent reduced risk of through another’s trials. breast cancer than those not taking diet-related. To help decrease

According to the American Canthe supplement. cer Society (ACS), some 207,000 new a woman’s risk, The Cancer cases of invasive breast cancer will be Take Up Tea diagnosed in U.S. women this year.

Cure Foundation recommends Green tea, the most widely consumed Despite this staggering number, there beverage in the world, after water, adding foods containing cancer- reportedly contains the highest conis good news. The ACS also reports that after increasing for more than two fighting properties, including fiber, centration of polyphenols, powerful decades, the incidence rate of feantioxidants that help fight off the free male breast cancer recently has been radicals that scientists believe conseaweed and whole soy products. decreasing, by about 2 percent per tribute to the aging process, as well year from 1999 to 2006, which may as the development of many health indicate that we are adopting more problems, including cancer. According to a new study led by effective prevention methods.

Martha Shrubsole, an assistant professor at Vanderbilt Univer Here are some natural ways to keep breast tissue healthy. sity School of Medicine in Nashville, regular consumption of

Get a Move On

Walk, run, swim or bike—just move. Studies show that exercise reduces the risk of breast cancer. Results of research published in BMC Cancer found that women in the study group who engaged in more than seven hours a week of moderate-to-vigorous exercise for the last 10 years were 16 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than those who were inactive.

12

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

green tea may reduce a woman’s risk of breast cancer by as much as 12 percent.

The Power of Produce Eat more fruits and vegetables. The American Institute of Cancer Research lists the foods most likely to help decrease the risk of breast cancer. Superstar vegetables include all cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower); dark leafy greens (collards, kale, spinach); car-

www.natallahassee.com

rots; and tomatoes. Steam the vegetables or eat them raw to best preserve their cancer-fighting nutrients. Superstar fruits include citrus, berries and cherries.

monounsaturated fats like olive oil, as well as nuts and seeds; the latter also provide selenium, an important mineral in cancer protection, according to the British Journal of Cancer.

The Magic of Mushrooms Regularly include medicinal mushrooms at mealtime, especially the Japanese varieties maitake and shiitake. Studies have shown that maitake mushrooms, in particular, stimulate immune function and also inhibit tumor growth. In a study of more than 2,000 Chinese women, those who ate the most fresh mushrooms (10 grams or more a day) proved about two-thirds less likely to develop breast cancer than non-consumers.

Cut Chemical Exposure Certain chemicals, many of which are found in plastic, appear to interfere with the body’s hormonal balance and could harm breast tissue. To reduce exposure to chemicals such as Biphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, Marissa Weiss, a physician and president of BreastCancer.org, recommends using products that are made from glass, ceramic or stainless steel, instead.

Limit the Alcohol A study of more than a million women by Oxford University scientists indicates a clear link between drinking even moderate amounts of wine and breast cancer. A Harvard Nurses’ Health study has shown that consuming more than one alcoholic beverage a day can increase breast cancer risk by as much as 20 to 25 percent.

Avoid Long-Term Hormone Therapy The link between postmenopausal hormone therapy (PHT) and breast cancer has long been a subject of debate, and research results have been mixed. According to experts at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, it’s probably safe to take hormones for up to four to five years, although they recommend using the lowest dose possible. Of course, not using PHT to start with is a way to avoid raising this particular risk.

Cut the Fat Ann Kulze, a medical doctor and author of Dr. Ann’s 10-Step Diet, says women should minimize consumption of omega-6 and saturated fats, avoid trans fats, and maximize intake of omega-3 fats, especially from oily fish such as tuna, salmon, sardines and mackerel. Kulze suggests that women consume

Making such conscious daily life choices pays off today and in many tomorrows.

Beth Davis is a contributing writer to Natural Awakenings magazines.

Unity Eastside Church and Community Friends Present

A Benefit for Refuge House October 17, 2010 Noon – 5 p.m.

Fabulous Food Silent Auction Art Vendors Seated Massage Fun Activities for Adults and Children

Tickets Available at Beethoven & Co. MusicMasters Crystal Connection from Volunteers Online at www.MusicFestTally.org and at the Gate

Musicians Include Sir Charles Atkins & Blues Band Harvest Gypsies The Ned Devines The New 76ers Mark Russell Aaron O'Rourke & Katie Geringer Frank Lindamood Eclectic Acoustic The Benders Reckless Daughters John Sullivan Didja Vu Cicada Ladies Unity Eastside Choirs and Band

Tickets: $10 Adult $ 5 Child

natural awakenings

Unity Eastside Church 8551 Buck Lake Rd. Tallahassee

October 2010

13

consciouseating

Vegan advocates, who include celebrities like Alicia Silverstone, Tobey Maguire and Woody Harrelson, support a robust vegan infrastructure, with new cookbooks and gourmet recipes, hip new restaurants and an explosion of websites and chat rooms devoted to a plant-based lifestyle.

Some omnivores doubt that people can be either healthy or satisfied without the nutrients and flavor of animal products. After all, didn’t we evolve from meat eaters? Yes, our hunter-gatherer forbears may have liked meat, explain some experts, but it comprised only a tiny part of their diet—those animals were hard to catch. Instead, early humans subsisted largely on wild vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. Milk and cheese didn’t become a diet staple until 10,000 years ago, and then only in Europe.

Author Virginia Messina, a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in public health, based in Port Townsend, Washington, says her research for the American Dietetic Association confirms that vegetarians overall have lower levels of bad cholesterol, less obesity and a lower incidence of both hypertension and colon cancer than meat-eaters. Vegans have even lower cholesterol and blood pressure than vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy.

But eschewing animal products only leads to improved health if people follow some basic guidelines. Vegans must be sure to eat a variety of whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts

by Kristin Ohlson and seeds—good sources of protein—as well as fruits and ased upon what he observed at a plantation in Hawaii vegetables. (Messina notes that the average person needs on his first job out of medical school, California physiabout 55 grams of protein a day, about half that ingested in cian John McDougall has eaten a vegan diet for 35 a typical America diet.) And, while plant diets are generally years. There, he cared for workers hailing from China, Japan, rich in iron, Messina notes that vegans need to make sure Korea and the Philippines, and quickly noticed that first-genthat the iron is well absorbed by eating a diet rich in vitamin eration immigrants didn’t have the diseases C—leafy greens, as well as citrus, peppers, he’d been trained to treat: no heart disease, The American Institute potatoes, melons and tomatoes. She reminds no diabetes, no cancer, no arthritis. However, vegans to get enough zinc in their diets with for Cancer Research he saw more evidence of these conditions nuts, seeds and seed butters like tahini. Some recommends avoiding nutritionists suggest that vegans take a vitamin with each succeeding generation, as the workers increasingly indulged in standard B12 supplement, as well as a calcium suppleprocessed meat and American fare. ment. eating no more than

“My first-generation patients kept to the Vegans insist that giving up these animal 500 grams (18 ounces) products doesn’t mean giving up the pleadiet they had eaten in their home countries,” McDougall says. “They lived on rice and sures of food. Perhaps no vegan chef has of red meat a week, vegetables, with very little meat and no dairy. done more to convince skeptics than Isa the equivalent of six But, as their kids started to eat burgers and Chandra Moskowitz, with cookbooks like 3-ounce servings. shakes, the kids got fatter and sicker.”

Vegan with a Vengeance, Veganomicon, and

Accounts like this contribute to the fact Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. (She that today, as many as 8 million Americans say ~ Elaine Magee, WebMD.com also founded the Post Punk Kitchen vegan that they are vegetarians, according to a 2009 website with free recipes at theppk.com).

Harris Interactive survey commissioned by The VegetarMany of her recipes take fewer than ian Resource Group. Of these, about a third are vegans, 45 minutes to prepare, often who avoid meat, eggs and dairy products, as well as from inexpensive ingredients. meat. Many choose a plant-based diet for better health; “It’s an economical way to others, because they believe it’s more humane and eat,” she says. “It’s the way environmentally conscious. According to the Natural poor people have always Marketing Institute, as many as 30 percent of Amerieaten.” cans say they are trying to reduce their meat intake.

Certainly, it takes some

On The

WHY PEOPLE ARE PUTTING MORE PLANTS ON THEIR PLATES

B

14

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

retraining to adopt a vegan diet. Some people start by keeping meat portions to three or four ounces and going meatless one day each week, as author Michael Pollan recommends.

But once people get the hang of preparing tasty, plant-based meals, they realize the breadth of the culinary experience.

“The people who have been vegan for any length of time actually have a diet that’s substantially more diverse and interesting than the typical omnivore,” observes Erik Marcus, author of The Ultimate Vegan Guide: Compassionate Living Without Sacrifice. “You might think that your diet becomes more limited if you get rid of animal foods, but the opposite is actually true.”

Kristin Ohlson is a freelance writer in Cleveland, OH. Reach her at KristinOhlson.com.

Defining Different Strokes It’s common for people to become quasi-vegetarians on the way to a way of eating that’s even more health- and planet-friendly. Here’s a look at various dietary practices. n Omnivore: eats both plant- and animal-based foods n Flexitarian: inclined to mostly eat vegetarian, but sometimes adds in meat n Vegetarian: eats no meat, including fish and shellfish, or any animal byproducts; also known as a lacto-ovo vegetarian (eats dairy and eggs) n Lacto-vegetarian: a vegetarian who eats dairy products, but not eggs n Ovo-vegetarian: a vegetarian who eats eggs, but not dairy products n Pescetarian: a vegetarian who eats fish (may also avoid factory-farmed fish) n Vegan: eats no meat, eggs or dairy, and no animal-derived ingredients, like gelatin, honey or whey; usually also excludes wearing and other uses of animal products, such as leather, wool, angora and cashmere n Raw: consists of only unprocessed vegan foods that have not been heated above 115° Fahrenheit n Macrobiotic: consumes unprocessed vegan foods and sometimes, fish; generally avoids refined oils, flours and sugars n Fruitarian: eats only plant foods that can be harvested without harming the plant Contributing sources: International Vegetarian Union; Vegetarian.About.com; VeggieVisitors.com

THE PERILS OF MEAT SUBSTITUTES

by Kristin Ohlson When some people decide to give up meat, they still want something that looks, smells and tastes like meat on their plate—and they want its preparation to be as easy as flipping a burger on the grill. Even mainstream supermarkets now offer dozens of protein-rich products to fill this savory niche, usually made from some combination of textured or hydrolyzed soy protein, wheat gluten, grains and tofu.

Great idea, right? Not necessarily. It may be convenient to rely on “meat analog” products when first making the transition to a plant-based diet, but a steady diet of them isn’t healthy, say nutritionists, because these products often have similar problems as other highly refined foods. Too many vitamins and minerals are leached away during production; plus, they often contain an unwholesome amount of salt, flavorings, colorings and other chemicals to make them palatable.

“They’re really not ideal foods, long-term,” states Brendan Brazier, an Ironman triathlete and author of The Thrive Diet and Thrive Fitness. “After the transition is made, I tell people to cut these highly processed things out drastically—even cut them out completely.”

Mitzi Dulan agrees. She’s a registered dietitian and team nutritionist for the Kansas City Royals (and formerly with the Kansas City Chiefs) and co-author, with NFLer Tony Gonzalez, of The All-Pro Diet. Dulan tells vegan clients to seek their protein in beans and other legumes, nuts, whole grains and naturally fermented soy foods like tempeh; if they want to buy vegan products, they should make sure they’re made from these whole-food ingredients.

Remarks Dulan, “I’d prefer to see people stay away from those fake meats and cheeses.” natural awakenings

October 2010

15

16

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

wisewords A Conversation with Jim Hightower Acclaimed Columnist, Commentator and Populist

by Ellen Mahoney

J

im Hightower, a syndicated columnist and national radio commentator, is the bestselling author of Swim Against the Current and Thieves in High Places. A former Texas agriculture commissioner, he’s spent some 30 years fighting for the rights of consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses and just plain folks.

A favorite saying of his is, “The water won’t clear up until we get the hogs out of the creek.” Hightower is the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship.

Why do you consider populism the people’s rebellion against the corporate powers-that-be and how do you define it?

Populists have historically understood that the real battle in America is not an ideological fight of conservative versus liberal. Rather, the battle is over money and power, and populists are engaged in a fight against corporatists to create a democratization of both our government and our economy. Too few people control the money and power at the expense of the rest of us.

In this country, populism began in Texas in 1877, when farmers, who were going broke because of railroad monopolies, realized they had to do something about it. What began as a farmers’ movement quickly spread throughout the country. The movement later evolved into the People’s Party and had a powerful impact on women’s suffrage, the direct elections of senators, wage and hour laws and the nationalization

of railroads and public resources. It was very progressive.

How is your work helping individuals to swim against the political currents, work for the common good and make a difference in their communities?

Essentially, I consider myself a modernday Johnny Appleseed, with a populist viewpoint. I try to inform people, rally them and help them see that they’re not alone, despite the power of the establishment trying to teach them that the corporate way is the only way.

Why do you say that politics is more about top versus bottom than right versus left?

First of all, the powers that be try to make the term “agitator” seem pejorative. But, in fact, agitation is what America is all about.

Agitators created America itself, first with the Continental Congress, and then with the American Revolution. It was agitators who democratized The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It also took agitators to form the suffragist, antislavery, populist and labor movements—and later, the civil rights, women’s and environmental movements.

It takes people willing to stand up to the establishment and say, “No.”

How can we individually or collectively work to improve the world?

First of all, assess your own values and what matters to you. If you think there’s something that strikes you as particularly unfair or not right or that could be done better, then look at that and begin to build on what you really care about.

Inform yourself and then look around in your own area. It’s likely there is someone working on the very issue that bothers you. You’ve got to reach out to make those connections through places like your church, local groups and independent bookstores.

How do we create a government truly of, by and for the people?

Right versus left is what we’re told politics is all about—you’re either a conservative or you’re a liberal. But those are tiny little boxes that few Americans fit within, and this ideology is what divides us in this country. Most of us are a mix of both. The real political spectrum is in fact, top to bottom, because that is [the paradigm] where most people live; most folks know they are way down in that top-to-bottom spectrum.

What do you mean when you encourage people to be agitators, much like a metaphor of the way a washing machine agitates the dirt out?

Democracy is not a quick fix; it requires a lot of citizen involvement, and you’ve got to find ways to become a part of that. You can’t do it alone.

I often talk about Harrell’s Hardware store, in Austin. They’ll loan you a tool to take home for a project or sell you two nails. Their slogan is, “Together We Can Do It Yourself,” and this is exactly the operating principle of a progressive movement. We can’t do it ourselves—it takes all of us together, as like-minded people of goodwill. The possibility of self-government comes from this.

For more information, visit JimHightower.com.

Ellen Mahoney teaches writing at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Email evm@infionline.net.

natural awakenings

October 2010

17

BE A CLIMATE HERO Act up. Act now.

by Bill McKibben

A

t any given moment, there are a thousand things going wrong in the world. If we were to list just major environmental problems alone we could go on for a long time, citing everything from toxic contaminants in our food to the scarcity of safe drinking water.

This past summer, we all stared in horror at the slowly blackening Gulf of Mexico as the Deepwater Horizon oil slick spread on and below the water’s surface. Making such a list is such a depressing exercise that the temptation is to just walk away from the task. We might feel like a surgeon at a wartime field hospital, forced to do major triage.

Where do we turn first?

18

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

The half-good news is that our planet’s mounting environmental troubles aren’t isolated, individual casualties. If we can figure out what the keystone is, then we can collectively start to work to cure a bunch of the most pressing problems at once. By the same token, if we guess wrong, we can labor for years to correct a particular woe, only to have our hard work overwhelmed by the underlying infection.

Based on the scientific evidence, I think it’s pretty clear that the most crucial of all the complex issues we face today revolve around the causeand-effect relationship of burning fossil fuels and the accelerating changes in Earth’s climate. In short: If we can’t www.natallahassee.com

deal with global warming, nothing else we do will really matter. To put it more positively: If we can remove the needle from our arm that feeds society’s addiction to petroleum products, many of our other troubles would begin to wane.

Signs of the Times Let’s start with the hard stuff: Global warming is the first crisis we’ve ever faced that has the potential to shake our civilization to its core. So far, human beings have burned enough coal, gas and oil to raise the temperature of the planet about one degree Fahrenheit.

That’s already been enough to cause all manner of troubles:

n The Arctic icecap is melting, and quickly. By summer’s end in 2007, a record-setting year, the northernmost continent, which moderates air and water temperatures for the whole planet, contained 25 percent less ice than the year before. As of this writing, the 2010 melt was outpacing that of 2007.

Scientists now routinely predict it won’t be long before we’ve seen the end of Arctic summer sea ice altogether— that is, the world as viewed from outer space would be without its familiar white top. Worse, it’s not only the Arctic; pretty much every other geographic area that’s frozen is melting as well, perhaps most dangerously in the high-altitude glaciers of the Andes and Himalaya mountains, historically relied upon to send water, respectively, to the South American and Asian continents below. n The Earth’s hydrological cycles are undergoing a dramatic shift. Because warm air holds more water vapor than cold, the general atmosphere is about 5 percent moister than it was 40 years ago. This means more evaporation, hence more drought, in arid areas.

But on the rest of a planet, where what goes up must come down—we’re witnessing extraordinary increases in flooding. This year, for example, we’ve seen record (and lethal) rainstorms in Tennessee, Oklahoma and Arkansas, just within the 1.5 percent of the planet’s surface comprised by the continental United States. n Overall, temperatures are rising to near unbearable levels as that single degree average increase on the thermometer reverberates in savage heat waves. This past spring, India experienced weeks of record temperatures that beat anything recorded since the British started measuring them in the early 1800s. Early this summer, seven nations smashed all-time temperature records. In Burma, the mercury set a new all-time record for Southeast Asia, at 118 degrees. In June, Pakistan went on to establish a new benchmark for the highest temperature ever recorded at any time, anywhere in Asia, of 129 degrees.

All of this is due to a single degree of global temperature increase. The climatologists have warned us that if the

This year, China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest energy user, a status held for more than a century. Because China gets most of its electricity from coal, it’s also the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases as of 2007, yet the United States remains the world’s biggest oil consumer by a wide margin. We’re also by far the bigger energy consumer per capita, despite an overall 2.5 percent annual improvement in energy efficiency since 2000; the average American burns five times as much energy annually as the average Chinese citizen. ~ International Energy Agency

United States, China and other countries don’t make a super-swift transition from the use of coal and oil, the world’s collective temperature will climb something like five degrees before the century is out. If one degree melts the Arctic icecap, we don’t want to see what five degrees looks like.

So, that’s the bad news. Here’s the good news.

Alternate Scenario Let’s imagine we took the most significant step we could to speed the worldwide transition off of fossil fuel. Let’s imagine that the U.S. Congress and the United Nations managed to agree on a national and international scheme to set stiff pricing on coal and oil that accurately reflects the damage these fossil fuels are wreaking in the atmosphere. If that happened, then many other things would follow.

The most obvious is that we’d see lots more solar panels and wind turbines. Suddenly, anyone with a spreadsheet would be able to see that it no longer makes sense to invest in a coal-fired power plant. Anyone build-

ing a new apartment complex would immediately understand that it’s in his or her best interest to install solar hot water tubes on the roof. In China, the world leader in total energy use, yet also in renewable energies, 250 million people now get their hot water this way.

But, such a simple and effective solution still has to fight against the force of economic gravity there, as elsewhere.

As long as coal-fired electricity is absurdly cheap, renewable energy sources will stay marginal.

The effects of a widespread switch to clean and renewable energies wouldn’t be confined to the energy sector. Think about farming. We’ve spent half a century building a giant agro-industrial complex that runs entirely on fossil fuel.

Yet author Michael Pollan recently calculated that it takes 10 calories of fossil energy to produce one calorie of food. Because that growing complex is a machine, not really a farm, the food it produces is terrible in terms of taste and nutrition, and includes toxic residues from pesticides, herbicides and chemically synthesized fertilizers.

The ultimate irony is that we now devote the best farmland on the planet, the American Midwest, to growing highfructose corn syrup. It’s a prime culprit in our country’s diabetes epidemic. The ripple effect goes on and on.

On the other hand, consider what would happen if the price of oil went up high enough that this nation could no longer afford to farm in the manner preferred by agribusiness behemoths?

What would happen is that we’d need more Americans engaged in healthier farming, with human labor and ingenuity replacing some of the fossil fuel.

That would increase yields per acre and also increase the quality of the foods we eat. Research studies reported

by Jules Pretty, pro-vice-chancellor of the University of Essex, UK, in his book, Agri-Culture, have proved that small farms around the world are routinely as productive as agro-industrial lands, and that low-input farming, too, can feed the world with a wholesale switchover.

Again, this is already starting to happen: Farmers’ markets continue to be the fastest growing part of our nation’s food economy; the last agricul

natural awakenings

October 2010

19

tural census found that the number of farms in the United States is increasing for the first time in a century-and-a-half.

That’s good news and potentially great news, but small farming, co-ops and organic production will remain a small, marginal trend until the price of energy changes. The day that happens is the day that everyone finds their way to a local farmers’ market.

Helpful changes roll out, from bus and train commutes replacing cars to the rising popularity of densely inhabited urban blocks, as cul-de-sac suburbia loses its appeal. Local storefronts naturally get the nod over big box chain stores, too, and so on.

The Key to Change How do we make it happen? How do we change the price of energy, which is what almost every observer thinks is the only way we can make a real change in the physics and chemistry of the current global warming phenomenon, and make an effective difference in the short time allowed before the harmful consequences explode exponentially?

If only everyday people could do it solely by making personal energy improvements around the house, at work and in their communities—through such steps as switching to more energyefficient light bulbs and riding our bikes to work. Such changes are good to do, of course, and it all helps, but we don’t have a century to turn around our global situation. Which means we also need to engage in… politics.

We need to put the pressure on our leaders now to change the price of energy now. Remember—they’re getting plenty of pressure from lobbyists pocketing profits on the other side.

Because of government subsidies and cartels, fossil fuel is the most profitable industry humans have ever engaged in; last year, Exxon Mobil Corporation made more money than any company in recorded history. That buys them a lot of power.

We won’t be able to outspend them, so we will have to do what people have always done when they have found themselves needing to take charge of their future: We must build a movement. Politicians won’t change because scientists tell them 20

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

Scientific data shows the ocean becoming more acidic at an unprecedented rate as surface waters continue to absorb approximately a third of manmade atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. ~ National Research Council, Ocean Acidification, 2010

Global phytoplankton populations have dropped about 40 percent since 1950, and scientists believe that rising sea surface temperatures are to blame. The microscopic plants both form the foundation of the ocean’s food web and gobble up carbon dioxide to produce half of the world’s oxygen output. ~ Dalhousie University, Canada, Nature, 2010

we have a problem— they’ll change because enough people tell them they have to, or they’ll lose their jobs.

Building just this kind of movement is entirely possible.

Citizen Action Plan Two years ago, a few concerned citizens joined me in launching 350.org, a wholly grassroots campaign that takes its name from a wonky scientific data point.

NASA scientists led by James Hansen have published reams of data showing that, “Any value for carbon in www.natallahassee.com

the atmosphere greater than 350 parts per million [ppm] is not compatible with the planet on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted.”

It sounds like an unpromising banner to rally people around—too serious and too depressing, because we’re already well past the 350 mark.

The atmosphere is currently at 392 ppm carbon dioxide, which is why the Arctic is melting. So far, we’ve racked up some successes; in October 2009, we held an International Day of Action that created some 5,200 demonstrations in 181 countries. That’s a lot—in fact, CNN called it, “… the most widespread day of political action in the planet’s history.”

Online images posted from those events banish wrong preconceptions people might have about who is and is not an environmentalist. Most of the rallies were orchestrated by poor, black, brown, Asian and young people, because that’s what most of the world is made up of. Six weeks later, at the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, 117 nations endorsed that

350 target, which was good; except that they were 117 poor and vulnerable nations, not the richest and most addicted to fossil fuels. So, we fight on.

This October, we’re holding a 10/10/10 Global Work Party. It’s set to spread around the world, too, with people in thousands of communities doing something practical: putting solar panels on local schools, harvesting community gardens and planting mangroves along rising shorelines.

In Auckland, New Zealand, they aim to repair every bicycle in every garage. The intention will be twofold.

Point one is that bikes are good. Ditto solar panels. We need both in our communities. Point two acknowledges that we know we can’t solve climate change one bike path at a time.

So we’re also intent on sending a strong political message to our leaders: If we can get to work, so can you. Right now. If I can climb up on the roof of the school to hammer in a solar panel, you can climb to the floor of the Senate and hammer out some helpful legislation.

It’s time to shame our government and corporate leaders a little, and maybe inspire them, too.

This is far from the only people’s campaign swelling around the world.

They range from the small and specific (e.g., Project Laundry List, which advocates for right-to-dry laws that would let all Americans hang their laundry on clotheslines) to the far-ranging Green for All, which works for clean energy jobs across the country. This year, the Great Power Race, between campuses in the United States, China and India, will make news via a friendly competition to see who can come up with the most creative sustainability ideas. Then there’s PutSolarOnIt.com, pushing the U.S. president and other world leaders to at least do the symbolic work of sticking panels on the roof of the White House and all of its equivalent buildings around the world. The list goes on.

We all need to get to work addressing climate change right where we live, in our communities. We need to build towns and cities that make sense and create jobs for families. We also need to build a world that works, because the best organic gardener on Earth won’t be able to cope with 30

We the People Can Help Mother Earth Organizing a local action for 10/10/10 doesn’t need to be large or complicated; these acts are about community and solutions and sending a message to the world. Find ideas at 350.org, search People or nearby work parties.

We understand that 10/10/10 is one important day of many in a long, universal (and beautiful) fight for a workable planet. Other groups doing great work include: Center for Biological Diversity (BiologicalDiversity.org)

&XWWLQJ (GJH )LWQHVV Tallahassee’s Only RealRyder® Cycle Studio propels your body and soul to the next level.

With our new expanded facilities, we also offer a series of unique workouts that complement each other to offer you a workout regimen that is flexible, spontaneous and FUN!

Energy Action Coalition (EnergyActionCoalition.org) Friends of the Earth (foe.org) Interfaith Power and Light (InterfaithPowerAndLight.org)

TRX SUSPENSION GROUP TRAINING INDO-ROW THE NIA TECHNIQUE PIYO • PILOXING AND MORE

straight days of rain, or a month with no rain at all, without helpful policies.

That means resorting to politics, which is another way of saying that we must work together as people for better solutions to climate change than what we have now. It can be beautiful. If you don’t believe me, check out the pictures at 350.org.

I dare you.

Bill McKibben is the author, most recently, of the bestselling Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet. He’s the founder of 350.org, and a scholar in residence at Middlebury College in Vermont. The Boston Globe this year described him as “…probably the country’s leading environmentalist,” and Time called him “…the planet’s best green journalist.”

Studio: 850.222.1781 Manor@Midtown, Suites 10 and 5 1122 Thomasville Road (32303) Schedule and Online Sign-ups at

www.SweatTherapyFitness.com

Personal training experience in a group setting

natural awakenings

October 2010

21

mber e v o N n i Coming

LIVING SIMPLY 10/10/10: Tallahassee Answers the Call

by Mike Brezin

B

ill McKibben and 350.org have issued the global call to get to work to save the earth as we know it from human-induced climate change. Tallahassee is taking up the call by holding its own events at Lake Ella, FAMU, and FSU. Take the Pledge Prior to the events, individuals can take the “Do 10 for 10-10-10” pledge, to choose 10 lifestyle changes to cut one’s carbon footprint. Separate “Do 10” pledge drives are underway for Leon County school children, local residents, FAMU and FSU students, and area businesses. (Pledge forms can be printed from www.pledge. rethinkenergyflorida.org.) Prizes will be awarded at the events for returned pledges.

Natural Awakenings Shows You How to Simplify Daily Life…

At home, work and play … including holidays.

For more information about advertising and how you can participate, call

850-590-7024 22

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

Lake Ella The Climate-Friendly High Energy Get Down at Lake Ella on 10/10/10 from 1:00 – 5:00 will be a fun, informative, and positive event that encourages participants to take action to reduce their own and our community’s carbon footprint. The getdown represents a unique collaboration of sustainability organizations, communities of faith, and local governments and schools.

On hand will be displays to showcase City of Tallahassee and Leon County sustainability efforts plus displays from businesses, environmental/sustainability organizations, local farmers and gardeners, schools, and others. Additionally, participants can enjoy music, dance, and other entertainment that reinforce climate-friendly living. Local restaurants and caterers will conduct short cooking demonstrations for meatless meals and share samples and recipes. (Meat production accounts for 20% of carbon emissions worldwide.) At 3:50 PM, a 350 living sculpture will be formed, photographed, and sent to 350.org to join others from around the world. The kids weren’t forgotten; there will be fun things for them to do. Finally, there will be letterwriting opportunities to demand that elected leaders get to work on climate change.

FAMU and FSU At FAMU from 1:00 – 5:00, the main events will be students painting recycling bins at the Physical Plant building on Wahnish Way and putting the finishing touches on a rainwater collection and irrigation system for the landscaping at the Jackson-Davis dorm on Martin Luther King Boulevard.

At FSU, on Landis Green from 1:00 – 5:00, the main event will be to make simple solar-powered water heaters that will be donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Returned pledges will also be delivered to FSU President Eric Barron to promote a greener FSU. www.natallahassee.com

The Ultimate Rescue Climate change will define the 21st century. Our society will start to rescue the earth and its inhabitants through the return to conditions similar to those to which life is adapted . . . or send them careening into unimaginable hardships. The problem is huge, but it is solvable if we get to work.

The challenge is unprecedented . . . no one has ever addressed saving a planet . . . its people and other life forms before.

Across the world, everyone and everything is in this together – there are no passengers on this mission, only crew. It’s time for this global generation, the next Greatest Generation, to get to work. .

Mike Brezin is on the Lake Ella Climate Friendly High Energy Get-Down planning committee and is a director of Groundswell Community.

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser

What is the Source of your Health Problem?

Compassionate, patient-center healthcare using non-drug, science-based and results-oriented approach.

Who do you know who suffer from:

n Indigestion n Chronic n IBS

and reflux

constipation

or Crohn’s Disease

n Fatigue

or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

n Simple

OR complex health problems

n Fibromyalgia n Overweight n Insomnia

Patrice Bullock, MSN, FNP

Stay Connected with local events and breaking Holistic News Natural Awakenings - Tallahassee Invites You to our facebook fan page

Family Nurse Practitioner-BC

New Genesis Center

EVOLUTIONARY HEALTHCARE

n Anxiety n Unhappy

with Current Healthcare Results?

229.228.9050

www.NewGenesisCenter.com

natural awakenings

October 2010

23

naturalpet

Pumpkin for Pets

An Herbal Emporium & Spiritual Supermarket Over 240 Herbs Aromatherapy Supplies Meditation Aides Spiritual Goods

by Morieka V. Johnson

659 Industrial Dr ~ In Railroad Square Open: Wed-Sun 12-9 ~ Mon-Tues 12-4

Athena’s Garden 850-391-9496 “The music that can deepest reach, and cure all ill, is cordial speech.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are healthy and green And going…..Greener!

If you have a green business • Natural and recyclable • Green and sustainable

home building • Solar systems • Windows, insulation • Air and water purifiers • Environmental • More earth friendly

Advertise healthy, green and clean!

Call:

850-284-2348

24

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

L

ike kids who clamor for every tidbit in a candy store, Val Clows’ Great Danes have their choice of flavorful, high-quality dog kibble. But they still can’t wait to get their paws on new deliveries of pumpkin-based granola arriving at her Holistic for Pets shop in Sarasota, Florida. She reports that her two-legged customers enjoy eating the pumpkin product, too. “Everybody is looking for something tasty that’s low calorie and high fiber,” says Clows, smiling.

Traditionally reserved for grocery store aisles, pumpkin is now showing up in pet stores, too, as human food-grade animal treats, dried kibble and simple puréed goodness. A growing array of pet food products, from granola to dog biscuits, touts pumpkin for its vitamin A and fiber content.

“We’ve been using pumpkin for a long, long time at our house,” remarks Clows. “But about two years ago, I started seeing pumpkin products labeled for pets, as well as pet treats that are pumpkin based. My dogs particularly love canned pumpkin, laced with a touch of cinnamon and ginger.”

As with all good things, use pumpkin in moderation, suggests Dr. Jennifer Monroe, of Eagles Landing Veterinary Hospital, in McDonough, Georgia.

“Pumpkin is good for pets with digestive issues, especially those on a hypoallergenic diet, because it doesn’t typically appear in pet foods,” she says. “But it’s best in small doses, in order to prevent weight gain.” The low-calorie gourd www.natallahassee.com

comes loaded with carbohydrates; one cup of puréed, canned pumpkin has as much as eight grams.

Monroe observes that pumpkin has been a go-to item for pets with digestive issues since she was in veterinary school in the mid-1980s, primarily because it is a relatively inexpensive and readily available item. Bland, white rice is another popular home remedy for settling pets’ stomachs, she notes, but its high fiber content typically makes pumpkin the better choice. Before stocking up on pumpkin, Monroe recommends starting with prebiotic and probiotic products, which have been tested extensively for their health benefits.

When diarrhea strikes, Veterinary Doctor Alice Martin, of Eagles Landing, says it’s best to consult a professional before attempting any home remedies.

Monroe adds that cats with constipation need no more than one to two tablespoons of pumpkin per can of cat food. For dogs, the amount of pumpkin should be at least 10 percent of the day’s total caloric intake.

As autumn temperatures drop and pumpkins become readily available, many pet owners prefer the all-natural, do-it-yourself approach. Monroe likes to grow and purée her garden pumpkins as a good-tasting aid to ensuring a happy, healthy home.

Morieka V. Johnson is a freelance writer in Atlanta, GA. Reach her at Morieka@ gmail.com.

greenliving

Transition Towns

network, led by individuals who are working to transform their own communities. While Berea is seeing its subdivisions expand and farmland disappear, one group of residents is making plans to help their community end its reliance on fossil fuels.

Berea locals have a goal they’re calling “50 x 25.” By 2025, they aim

by Tara Lohan to have the town using 50 percent less energy, deriving 50 percent of the energy it does use from local sources, procuring 50 percent of its food from More and more neighborhoods are making the transition farms and processors within 100 miles of town, and generating 50 percent of to a climate-friendly community. its gross domestic product from locally owned, independent businesses.

Transition Houston, Cities first began comhe coastal town

The Transition Town Berea group of Lincoln City, holds monthly reskilling workshops to mitting to Kyoto Protocol in Houston, Texas, Oregon, has a lot help locals acquire the know-how to goals in 2005, through is working on a to lose if nothing is done grow their own food, weatherize their the U.S. Conference of about climate change.

Transition film series Mayors Climate Protection houses and install solar panels. Their The town sits 11 feet projects help neighbors replant lawns with Rice University Agreement. Now, more above sea level, and unwith edibles and build raised vegetable than 1,000 cities in the checked climate change and a Permablitz United States, the District beds. They’ve also auctioned rain barcould erode its beaches rels painted by local artists and orgaprogram of neighbor- of Columbia and Puerto or flood the town. nized a 100-Mile Potluck to celebrate Rico have signed on. hood permaculture

Residents are taking local food and farmers.

The community matters into their own workshops. climate movement goes hands. “We could ignore beyond government initia- Building a Future from it, let the federal governtives; it’s a cultural shift the Ground Up ment deal with it,” Mayor Lori Hollinginvolving people from tiny rural towns to The Transition Towns movement in sworth says. “We’re not willing to do major metropolitan areas. the United States is less than two that.” Last year, Lincoln City committed years old, but it came from the seeds to becoming carbon neutral, through The Heart of Climate Action of earlier re-localization efforts and renewable energy, energy efficiency The fast-growing college town of Berea, other community climate groups and and carbon offsets.

Kentucky, is one of scores of U.S. com- nonprofits.

Communities like Lincoln City have munities that have become Transition

A lecture on climate change may long been ahead of Congress and the Towns and formed a diffuse, grassroots not appeal to everyone, but advocates White House on climate commitments.

Where Sustainable Living is Real

T

natural awakenings

October 2010

25

Residents of Berea, Kentucky, have a goal of “50 x 25.”

By 2025, residents aim to have the town using 50 percent less energy, deriving 50 percent of the energy it uses from local sources, procuring 50 percent of its food from farms and processors within 100 miles of town, and generating 50 percent of its gross domestic product from locally owned, independent businesses. find they can interest people in things like gardening, says Richard Olson, director of the Berea College Sustainability and Environmental Studies program. “We talk to them about heirloom seeds and what their grand-

parents grew and if they’d like to learn canning. We get them involved without even mentioning transition or sustainability.”

Interest in climate-readiness is spreading: Austin, Texas, has an ambitious plan to make city facilities, vehicles and all other operations carbonneutral by 2020. Louisville, Colorado, now has a car share program. Charlottesville, Virginia, is creating a trail system for walking and biking to connect schools, parks and other public spaces.

Greensburg, Kansas, a city of fewer than 2,000, was leveled by a tornado in May 2007. Residents have decided to rebuild as green as they can, requiring all city buildings to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED platinum rating for top-level environmentally friendly construction. They’ve also formed the group Greensburg GreenTown to increase public education about green living, make resources available at the library and distribute educational materials through online and telephone classes and events.

Green building initiatives also are

spreading, thanks in part to Architecture 2030, a nonprofit based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which calls for an immediate 50 percent reduction in fossil fuel consumption in new buildings and renovations, and sets a goal of carbon-neutral design by 2030. The U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted the program in 2006.

These communities hope they can lead the way toward the big changes we’ll need, both nationally and internationally, to respond to climate change. “Working at the community level to build resilience is the strategy that has the most chance of success,” observes Olson. “It’s not going to take until our grandchildren’s generation to see if we’ve succeeded. I think in 10 years we’ll see if we’re going to have a chance.”

For more information visit Transition US.org.

Tara Lohan is a contributing writer to YES! Magazine, a senior editor at AlterNet and editor of the book, Water Consciousness.

LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE THERAPY

www.tallahasseeacupuncture.net

26

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

goods. Artisan cheese, honey and preserves make great gifts. Several farms will be selling lunch, or bring a picnic and enjoy the scenery.

The Farm Tour is designed for the whole family. Hayrides, hands-on activities, petting zoos, restrooms and available food ensure that families can comfortably enjoy farm life.

As The Tour grows, certain concentrations of farms are apparent.

Monticello, Florida is becoming a local hub with nine farms participating, all within a few miles of one another.

If you’re looking to make the most of your time on The Tour, choose an area with several farms or follow a suggested tour that takes into account each farm’s hours, activities and location.

Supporting local agriculture is a win-win situation. Local food is inher-

­ rd Annual North Florida 3 & South Georgia Farm Tour L

ocal agriculture gets the attention it deserves in New Leaf Market’s 3rd Annual Farm Tour, October 23 & 24, 2010. Thirty-six farms and gardens in North Florida and South Georgia are opening their doors to the public. This once-a-year opportunity, featuring 13 new farms and gardens, is the best way to get to know the people behind your food and to experience organic and all natural farming firsthand.

Each farm determines their hours and activities so there is a wide variety of animals to see, things to do, and delicious things to eat. Tour working dairies, ranches, orchards, gardens and farms. Feel like going fishing? Perhaps you have always wanted to navigate

a corn maze, or learn about raised bed gardening? We’ve got you covered.

If you’re ready to tackle your own garden, become an artisan yogurt maker or maybe delve into the world of beekeeping, this year features a variety of workshops designed to get you started.

Most of the workshops are free, check the brochure for times and registration details.

When you think of barnyard animals you probably think of chickens and cows, but how about alpacas, bees, fainting goats, bats or heritage turkeys?

Take your pick!

And of course, there is the food. You won’t find fresher produce, eggs, beef, pork, goat, lamb, or homemade baked

ently fresher, and thereby tastier and more nutritious, than food that has journeyed far to reach your plate. It helps the economy; money spent on local products stays in your area as it supports local farmers and retailers.

And it’s also the only way to ensure that small farms remain part of our local landscape.

New Leaf Market carries local produce, yogurt, milk, cheese, eggs, honey, pecans, bread and body care.

The Farm Tour allows New Leaf Market to extend its support beyond the products in the store and highlight the men and women who work hard to produce high-quality natural products.

Start planning your tour today.

Create your own tour or follow suggested tours outlined in the Farm Tour brochure that clearly outlines each farm’s activities, hours and special events. Pick up a brochure at New Leaf Market or, visit www.NewLeafMarket.coop for details, suggested tours and interactive maps.

natural awakenings

October 2010

27

fitbody

EXERCISE FOR SPINE HEALTH SMART TRAINING BEATS BACK PAIN

by Michael Curran

A

s exercise reaches beyond the realm of pure athletics to include fitness fans everywhere, people have noticed that their efforts to stay in shape often are thwarted by back pain. That’s why knowledgeable trainers counsel that any well-designed workout must honor the health and mechanics of this important part of the body.

Dr. Karen Erickson, a New York City-based chiropractor and spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association, sees firsthand why alignment is crucial, especially if an individual has a history of back pain. “Good stability and good flexibility are the big factors for keeping the spine healthy,” she says. No matter what exercise modality one chooses to practice, Erickson advises beginning conservatively, as benefits can be achieved without pushing the level of difficulty.

Core Strength Counts Developing muscle strength throughout the torso is key to maintaining the correct spinal curvature for a strong back. In addition to the muscles that directly attach to the spine, the spine is also stabilized by deep stomach strength, strong pelvic floor support and the upper thigh muscles. Pilates is well-known for its focus on such core conditioning.

“Pilates uses apparatus expressly designed for working the abdominals and the back,” explains Lolita San Miguel, from her studio in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. “Most of our work is in the supine or prone positions [lying down], so that the vertical pull from gravity is lessened, and the body can be worked with a more correct alignment, and thus more effectively.” One of a small group of active practitioners who studied with Pilates method founder Joseph Pilates, San Miguel is a living testament to the benefits of the practice. When this 75-year-old isn’t doing her daily Pilates, she’s engaged in other physically demanding activities. “Pilates makes life sweet for the senior,” she says.

28

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

Posture Matters Despite well-meaning parental advice, it turns out that good posture entails more than just pulling our shoulders back.

Alignment practices like Restorative Exercise and the Alexander Technique were designed to develop an awareness of full-body mechanics as we go about daily activities.

Annette Cantor-Groenfeldt teaches the Alexander Technique in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

“The central theme of the technique is the spine, learning how to maintain length through the spine as you move,” she advises. “It is used extensively by actors, dancers, musicians and other high-performance people whose activities depend on postural alignment.”

In 2008, the Alexander Technique was the subject of a yearlong study published in the British Medical Journal, where it was shown to be effective in relieving low-back pain. The system focuses on both mental and physical aspects of movement, and usually includes passive treatments on the massage table, where the teaching practitioner manipulates the body to help release muscular tension.

www.natallahassee.com

October is National Spinal Health Month

Stay Flexible Keeping spinal movements fluid and supple is also essential for keeping the discs of the spine healthy. Tai chi and the related qigong emphasize this kind of mobility.

“Many Tai chi students find that they can move some of their vertebrae, but others seem to be stuck, with several vertebrae moving as one,” reports Sound Beach, New York-based Tai chi Master Bob Klein.

He explains, “In Tai chi, you become a master of moving the spine so that it almost seems devoid of bones, flowing and turning with ease, in exact coordination with the rest of the body.” Both Tai chi and qigong are gaining popularity among those who are looking to maximize a cardiostyle workout, while minimizing impact on their bones and joints.

Yoga is a longtime favorite approach to maintaining both stability and flexibility through strong muscles and alignment.

Ana Forrest used her hatha yoga practice to recover from an accident that seriously injured all the regions of her spine, and Forrest Yoga was born out of her retraining.

“People spend 90 percent of their waking hours in positions that compress the spine—in how they sit, how they stand, even how they do backbends in yoga class,” she observes. “Part of a good yoga practice is to create length in the spine, create a feeling of spaciousness in the body.”

While Erickson considers herself a fan of all the exercise modalities listed here, she always emphasizes personal responsibility when it comes to back health. “Never do an exercise that causes you pain,” she offers as a rule of thumb. For long-term back health, she explains that chiropractic care is great for improving alignment and other back-related issues, yet is no substitute for daily exercise and self-care.

An Autumn Celebration Under the Oaks at Goodwood Museum To Benefit the Big Bend Homeless Coalition

Please join us for low country cuisine, jazz music, dancing and strolling through the oaks at Goodwood Museum and Gardens to benefit a great cause.

A home for some is only a dream. Our families and clients are making strides to help themselves and work for that dream. Through your support we can make a difference.

Friday – October 29, 2010

Goodwood Museum & Gardens – 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm Tickets are a $25 donation and include – Food, Free Beverage and a Raffle Ticket 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm

Jazz Trio Outdoors on the Plaza Beverages and Heavy Hors d’oeuvres Enjoy the Music and Explore the Plantation Jazz Music on the Carriage House Plaza Soft Rock inside the Carriage House

7:00 pm to 7:20 pm

Our Mission, Services and Results Virtual Tour of our Campus and Programs Personal Stories of Success and Achievement Presentation inside the Carriage House

7:30 pm to 10:00 pm

ACME Rhythm & Blues Dance Floor, Hors d’oeuvres and Beverages Music and Dancing inside the Carriage House

For tickets or more information go to

www.BigBendHC.org or call 850-205-6005

Michael Curran has credentials in psychology, ayurvedic medicine, and Restorative Exercise™. He is the director of Health and Wellness Media (HealthAndWellnessMedia. com).

The only people with whom you

Contacts: Karen Erickson at DrKarenErickson@msn.com; Ana Forrest at ForrestYoga. com; Bob Klein at Movements OfMagic. com; Lolita San Miguel at LolitaPilates. com; and Annette Cantor-Groenfeldt at 505-670-0474.

~John E. Southard

should try to get even are those

who have helped you.

natural awakenings

October 2010

29

the energy of the cheering crowd that gives the Running Back the power he needs to take the ball those extra yards and score the touchdown. It is the angry energy of a group that turns a protest into a riot.

It is not uncommon to hear others express that certain people make them feel depressed or happy. Knowingly or not we send our energy out at all times.

We’re all aware of the mob mentality. It is basically what I described above.

Most often we think of it in negative terms.

Maybe images like the ones George Orwell portrayed in the “Two Minutes Hate” from 1984 come to mind. But what if group focus of this kind could be used for good?

What if it could help heal the planet or at least the human interactions on the planet?

Over a twelve year period in the 80’s and 90’s a study was done. 7000 people gathered for group meditations in the United States and Holland. On three separate occasions the groups meditated for a period of 8-11 days. The researchers looked at terrorism data collected by the Rand muscle tension and headaches, increasing serotonin production, and Corporation and observed a noticeable drop in terrorist activity within a few days help with chronic diseases such as after the meditations began. At the time of allergies and arthritis.

Not only can meditation have an the research 7000 was the square root of 1% of the population. The researchers had effect on the individual incorporating the practice into their daily lives, hypothesized that it would only take that but to those around them as well. small of a percentage of the population to Human beings are walking balls of have an effect on the world. Their findings energy. The emotions we experiproved them right and were published in ence can be sensed by those around the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation. us. This energy is felt most intensely Meditation offers countless benefits. It when groups are gathered. It’s often is truly a tool for healing. It can transform individual’s lives and the lives of everyone involved with them. Just as we recycle our aluminum cans and have them turned into parts for computers, cars, and airplanes we can recycle our energy through meditation.

After some time with a regular practice our anger, frustration, and anxiety can be melted down and transformed into peace and tolerance. It is not always a simple practice but it is something everyone can do. And who knows what kind of ripple effect it can have? Maybe we can heal the planet with more stillness…

Leslee Horner is a former elementary school teacher turned stay-at-home-mom and writer. She is the co-leader of the Uniteens program at Unity Eastside church.

You can read more of her essays on the website www.OwningPink.com, where she is a featured blogger.

Meditation for a Healthy Planet

by Leslee Horner

I

n today’s high-stress, multi-tasking world, meditation is no longer just for yogis and monks. The value of stillness is ever creeping into our mainstream culture. Therapists suggest meditation to their clients suffering with anxiety.

Doctors recommend it to their patients with high blood pressure. The website HealthandYoga.com contains a long list of the benefits of meditation including increasing blood flow, decreasing

30

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

ecobriefs News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.

75th Anniversary The Wilderness Society Celebrates Nationwide Successes

Fresh from a major achievement in 2009, The Wilderness Society has not been resting on its laurels in this, its 75th year of striving to protect our nation’s public lands. Following last year’s passage of the largest land conservation bill in decades, permanently protecting 4 million acres in 11 states, it’s had more than a dozen wilderness bills in the works this year.

Current campaigns tackle global warming, fossil fuel drilling in public lands and re-vegetating unused forest roads, as well as wilderness protection. They’re also initiating job programs to restore forests, rivers and grasslands that native species need to adapt to climate change.

Take action at Wilderness.org.

Garbage Blight

Second Patch of Plastic Soup Spotted in Atlantic A rising tide of consumer plastics, jettisoned into the oceans via rivers, storm drains, sewage overflows and windstorms, is devastating the environment across the world, says Charles Moore, the ocean researcher credited with discovering a vast, plastics-infested area in the Pacific Ocean in 1997. Now, his Algalita Marine Research Foundation researchers have defined a second vortex of garbage in the Atlantic Ocean. The soup of confetti-like bits of plastics stretches over thousands of square miles of the western North Atlantic, with the densest concentrations between the latitudes of Virginia and Cuba, including the unique Sargasso Sea ecosystem.

Sea Education Association (SEA) oceanography faculty member Kara Lavender Law, Ph.D., clarifies: “There’s no large patch, no solid mass of material. If it were an island, we could go get it. But we can’t; it’s a thin soup of plastic fragments.”

SEA, in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, which has monitored the North Atlantic for 22 years, expects that several such areas exist in the world’s oceans.

The plastic soup has essentially become a permanent part of the ecosystem, posing harm to the entire marine food chain. The only remedy is to halt the influx of consumer plastics by producing less of them and recycling them all. Public education is key.

Assaults Halted

Wolves Receive Endangered Species Protection Massive wolf hunts have been stopped in their tracks, thanks to a federal court ruling that has restored endangered species protection for these animals in Montana and Idaho.

More than 500 wolves have been gunned down since the U.S. government stripped them of federal protection. “The ruling effectively returns all wolves in the Northern Rockies to the endangered species list,” confirms Peter Lehner, executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Rainforest Rescue Daily Computer Use Helps the Cause

Using a green search engine for holiday shopping and other online searches can turn daily Internet use into a give-back to nature. Forestle.org is an independent nonprofit that donates all profits from sponsored links to The Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre program (more at Adopt.Nature.org). Together, Forestle home page visitors rescue thousands of square meters of rainforest every day. It has even partnered with Google.

Get the scoop on Green Party values and candidates.

Visit gp.org/about.shtml and gp.org/candidates/index.php. natural awakenings

October 2010

31

ecobriefs

Water Bubble

Two Reports Project Fresh Water Scarcity by 2030

Media Switch

Digging Up Good News for a Change

Even though we hear a lot about what’s going wrong with planet Earth, it’s good to know many things are going right. Good Dirt Radio, a volunteer-driven radio program based in Durango, Colorado, broadcasts inspiring stories about people working hard to bring about positive environmental change.

The nonprofit show, founded in 2004 by producer Gary Lewin and co-hosted by Tom Bartels, airs free, five-minute segments about topics as varied as zero waste, do-it-yourself solar, cold frames, fair trade, farmers’ markets and economic sustainability. It reaches 1 to 2 million listeners of 40 radio stations in the U.S. Southwest; others tune in online.

Bestselling environmentalist Paul Hawken says, “Their news programs inspire people to make informed choices, and that helps us all.”

Listen in at GoodDirtRadio.org.

Green Searching

Eco-friendly Manufacturer Turns Trash into Cash TerraCycle’s award-winning entrepreneur, Tom Szaky, is turning conventional manufacturing on its head. The company now up-cycles consumer packaging waste into 186 products, available at retailers like Whole Foods Market, Petco, Home Depot, Walmart and Target.

The National Geographic Channel’s Garbage Moguls, which debuted new episodes of the TerraCycle experience this summer, illustrates such transformations as cereal boxes into notebooks, newspapers into pencils, cookie wrappers into kites, and disposable pens into trash cans.

Schools and community nonprofits collect the materials for payment through eco-friendly local fundraisers.

For more information visit TerraCycle.net.

FLOORING CENTER

Michelle Roberts (850) 599-2546 1516-B Capital Circle SE

(850) 877-6600

32

You stand on it. We stand behind it!!

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

A recent report by the World Economic Forum warns that half the world’s population will be affected by water shortages within 20 years. Unsustainable conditions are headed toward what the researchers term, “water bankruptcy,” that could incite a crisis greater than the current global financial downturn. Crops and people are in danger, as geopolitical conflicts are expected to rise due to dwindling water resources.

During the 20th century, world population increased fourfold, but the amount of fresh water that it used increased nine times over. Already, 2.8 billion people live in areas of high water stress, according to the analysis. A concurring UN World Water Development Report adds that shortages are already beginning to constrain economic growth in areas as diverse as California, China, Australia, India and Indonesia. The Associated Press reports that the pivotal Ogallala Aquifer, in America’s Great Plains breadbasket, stretching from South Dakota to North Texas, continues to be drained at alarming rates, while the natural recharge rate is considered negligible.

Gene Escape

Wild Roadside Canola Shows Herbicide Resistance of GM Cousins Across the United States, wild canola grows in asphalt cracks and along roadways; it’s been found that this weedy plant often survives herbicide applications. Scientists at the University of Arkansas recently discovered why: About 83 percent of the weedy canola they tested contained herbicide resistance genes from genetically modified (GM), cultivated canola. Globally, canola can interbreed with 40 different weed species, 25 percent of which are found in the United States.

The findings raise questions about the regulation of herbicide- and pesticideresistant weeds and about how these plants might compete with others in the wild. Nature reports that GM crops have spread beyond cultivated land in several countries, including Canada, Japan, the UK and the United States.

Bioneer Heroes

Spotlight Recognizes Activists Protecting Our Coasts and Oceans The Blue Frontier/Peter Benchley 2010 Hero of the Seas recognition was awarded to Cynthia Sarthou, executive director of the New Orleans-based Gulf Restoration Network (HealthyGulf.org), a frontline group dealing with the environmental effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This year’s winner is just one of 2,000 groups and agencies working on behalf of ocean and coastline conservation. Blue Frontier’s mission is to strengthen and help unify this solution-oriented ma-

rine conservation community.

“As the Gulf disaster shows, we are all dependent on the ocean for protection, security and sustenance,” remarks David Helvarg, president of the Blue Frontier Campaign (BlueFront.org).

Guiding Light

South Pole Ozone Hole has Stabilized Ongoing monitoring by the British Antarctic Survey, which alerted the world to the hole in the protective ozone layer over the South Pole in 1985, has concluded that the hole has now stabilized.

Thinning of the ozone that surrounds the Earth provided the first clear evidence that man could damage the global environment on a colossal scale. “It also provided the first case of concerted international action to counteract such an effect,” says Richard Stolarski, a research scientist with NASA, who has reviewed the history and science related to the phenomenon.

Scientists had discovered that the accumulation of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in industrial solvents, refrigeration, air conditioning systems and aerosols were depleting the blanket of ozone that surrounds the Earth. Action by United Nations governments around the world led to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, effectively phasing out use of such chemicals. Today, scientists predict that, with continued care, Antarctic ozone levels will return to their 1950s levels by about 2080.

E-Solutions

Where to Recycle Outdated Electronics U.S. consumers, who generate more than 3 million tons of e-waste annually, now have easier access to manufacturer recycling programs, responsible local erecycling facilities and cooperating retailers. “If you make it easy, people will recycle their stuff,” says Barbara Kyle, national coordinator of the Electronics Takeback Coalition.

As of this year, 23 states mandate statewide e-waste recycling, and all but California make manufacturers responsible for providing it, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Seven more states introduced such legislation in 2010 (see ElectronicsTakeBack. com/legislation/state_legislation.htm).

This approach helps get e-products containing toxic materials out of landfills and incinerators, where they can contaminate water and air. It also shifts the need for cost-effective environmental responsibility to manufacturers, to encourage them to design more eco-friendly products. Ultimately, this should result in products with fewer toxic components and more reusable and recyclable components, requiring less use of virgin materials.

The world leader in e-waste recycling proves what’s possible; an industry-run program in Norway recycles 98 percent of all e-waste. By contrast, in 2008 Americans recycled only 13.6 percent of their e-waste, often storing old, unused units at home. Now they know where to take it.

Find local drop-off sites at Electronics TakeBack.com, click on Guide to Recycling Your Electronics. For local sites that accept electronic, automotive, hazardous, yard and other household materials, call 1-800-Recycling (1-800-732-925-464) or visit 1800Recycling.com.

natural awakenings

October 2010

33

BIKE TO WORK The Two-Wheel Commuting Wow

by Paul Dorn

P

eople might start commuting by bicycle to improve their fitness, save money or support sustainability, but they continue because it’s fun.

Ask a motorist about their commute and they’ll frown, at best. Ask a bicyclist about their commute and they’ll smile, and likely mention the endorphin rush, fresh air, wildlife spotted that morning, the new breakfast shop discovered en route or how their retirement accounts are swelling with money saved by not driving.

Health Benefits The health benefits of bicycling are recognized around the world. Cycling is a holistic form of exercise that gradually builds strength and muscle tone with little risk of over-exercise or strain, according to AdultBicycling.com. Legs, thighs, hips and buttocks all benefit, including hip and knee joints. The average cyclist burns about 300 calories during a 20-minute commute, while also improving coordination.

Commuting bicyclists easily meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that adults engage in moderate-intensity physical activities for 30 minutes or more at least five days a week. A study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports concluded that just 30 minutes of bicycle commuting improved aerobic fitness, cardiovascular 34

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

load, cholesterol and the burning of fats for energy.

According to the British Medical Association, in a nine-year study of 9,000 UK civil servants, those who cycled 25 miles a week (2.5 miles each way) experienced half the heart attacks as those who shunned physical exercise.

A long-term Copenhagen Heart study of more than 30,000 men and women found that even after adjusting for other risk factors, those who biked to work had a 39 percent lower mortality rate than those who did not.

A less stressful commute also contributes to mental well-being, even to the point of countering depression. A study at Duke University found that 60 percent of people suffering from depression overcame it by exercising for 30 minutes three times a week without antidepressant medication, which is comparable to the rate of relief people generally achieve through medication alone.

Daily exercise may also help prevent memory loss, according to several recent studies from the United States and Europe. The research, reported by the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and others, suggests that because regular aerobic exercise—such as bicycling, swimming or running— can improve cardiorespiratory fitness by up to 14 percent, it helps improve brain function. Further, improved overall health helps prevent certain diseases that may affect mental health.

Cost & Time Benefits When it comes to sustainability, the bicycle is one of the most energy-efficient personal transportation devices ever created. According to the American Automobile Association, the average annual cost of operating a sedan for 15,000 miles in 2010 totals $8,487; for an SUV, it’s $11,085. Vehicle costs include depreciation, finance charges, fuel, maintenance, tires, tolls, insurance and taxes. Given the latest U.S. median annual household income of $52,029 reported by the Census Bureau in 2008, the cost of car ownership exceeds 15 or 20 percent of the typical household’s income. A quality bicycle, which can be purchased for the price of about one car payment, will never need fueling, is inexpensive to repair and has an operating carbon footprint that’s next to nil. www.natallahassee.com

Higher Ground Bike Shop has 2 locations 2819 Mahan Drive, Suite 108 and 3185 Capital Circle North East Tallahassee, FL 32308 850-562-BIKE (2453) http://hgbco.com The Great Bicycle Shop 1909 Thomasville Road Tallahassee, FL 32303 850-224-7461 http://greatbicycle.com Sunshine Cycles 2784 Capital Circle NE Tallahassee Fl, 32308 850.422.1075 http://bikesunshine.net

Bicycle commuting is surprisingly time-efficient, too. Federal Highway Administration statistics show that nearly half of all trips in this country are three miles or less. More than a quarter of all trips are less than a mile. A three-mile trip by bicycle takes about 20 minutes; in a busy city, traveling the same distance by car can take longer. Add in getting a car out of a parking space, into traffic, through lights and congestion and parked again, and for many urban and neighborhood trips, bicycles are simply faster from point to point.

Making a good thing even better, bicycle commuting saves time that would otherwise be spent at a gas station, car wash, automobile mechanic, department of motor vehicles and even traffic court. Plus, without the large cost of operating a car, it’s just possible that bicyclists might even save the necessity of time spent at a second job. As yet another bonus, there’s next to no time spent sitting in traffic.

Paul Dorn, a writer and activist in Sacramento, California, is co-author (with Roni Sarig) of The Bike to Work Guide: Save Gas, Go Green, Get Fit. He is a former editor of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition newsletter, former executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition, and a League of American Bicyclists certified instructor.

Advertisers – up to 5 free listings. Non-advertisers – $10 each for Calendar of Events listings and $8 each for On-Going Calendar listings. Listings must be emailed to natallahassee@ yahoo.com.

Friday, October 1

markyourcalendar

Downtown Nights in Downtown Thomasville, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Back to School Bash – First Friday specials, free activities, entertainment, and great dining! Broad & Jackson St. (US 319). 229227-7020, www.downtownthomasville.com.

FRIDAY, October 29

Saturday, October 2 Sidewalk Sale in Downtown Thomasville. - 10am - 5pm. Merchants are cleaning out their store rooms to make way for new merchandise! Broad & Jackson St. (US 319). 229-227-7020, www. downtownthomasville.com.

Tuesday, October 5 Telephones for the Hearing Impaired - 10:00 am – Noon.Even if your hearing loss is minimal, you may qualify for these no-cost phones distributed by Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc. Tallahassee Senior Center 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

Friday, October 8 Thomasville Fly-In 2010. 10am - 5pm (Oct. 8-10). A grassroots fly-in for aviation enthusiasts and fans - now in its 43rd year! Thomasville Regional Airport, 882 Airport Rd. (North of Thomasville on US Hwy 319). 229-403-1071, www.thomasvilleflyin.com.

Saturday, October 9 Experience Asia 2010, 6th Annual Asian Festival – 10am-5pm. Lewis and Bloxham Parks, Downtown Tallahassee. Learning about the ancient traditions of Asian culture. Music, dance, arts, crafts, and of course, various Asian cuisine will be featured. Representatives from the Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Taiwanese, and Thai community will be on hand to share traditions and practices unique to each culture.

Tuesday, October 12 Reiki. 10:30 am – Noon. Reiki is a way of working with the Universal Life Energy to enhance our own natural healing ability. Join Susie Howell, Usui Reiki Master and Practitioner of 21 years, and her friends. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

Sunday, October 17 MusicFest 2010: Sounds of Hope, a Benefit for Refuge House, will be held from Noon to 5:00 p.m. on the grounds of Unity Eastside Church, 8551 Buck Lake Road, Tallahassee. It is a non-religious community event presented by Unity Eastside Church and community friends. The event features fourteen groups of top-notch local musicians including: Sir Charles Atkins and his Blues Band, The New 76ers, Harvest Gypsies, Mark Russell, Frank Lindamood and others. There will also be food, a silent auction, seated massage, art vendors, and activities for children & adults, all to help fund the many services that Refuge House provides to families affected by domestic violence. Tickets: $10 Adults; $5 Children (under 5 free). Available online at www.

MusicFestTally.org.

Autumn Celebration under the Oaks. 5:3010:00 pm. A benefit for the Big Bend Homeless Coalition featuring an outdoor jazz reception and then dancing in the Carriage House with ACME Rhythm & Blues. Stroll among historic buildings as you listen to music, enjoy Low Country Cuisine, check your number in the Raffle, make a silent bid, listen to great music or get up and dance in this wonderful setting! The BBHC is very successful in helping families get reestablished and move into homes. Tickets are a $25 donation. Goodwood Museum and Gardens 1600 Miccosukee Rd. Call 850-205-6005. www. bigbendhc.org.

Wednesday, October 20 Nutritional Counseling and Assistance -12:30 – 1:30 pm. All of your questions about weight loss, eating for a healthy lifestyle, and diabetes will be addressed in a small group venue by a professional dietician. Ongoing monthly program. Offered by Leah Gilbert-Henderson, PhD, LD. Tallahassee Senior Center Health Suite. Donations appreciated.

Pre-registration encouraged. Call 891-4042 to schedule. Tallahassee Senior Center 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

Saturday, October 23

natural healing ability. Join Susie Howell, Usui Reiki Master and Practitioner of 21 years, and her friends. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

Healing Service by Dr. Ulm at Abundance Wellness Center, 7:00pm. Dr. Ulm is a trained medical intuitive, counselor, and healer. He can separate all the layers of your unloved self, trace all your manifestations to their source, and find the health and joy that is your natural state. His results range from healing back pain, healing joint pain, to helping a teen pass an important exam, and changing chronic anxiety into joy. At these events, everyone receives a wonderful spiritual uplifting, and many mental, spiritual and physical healings occur. 325 John Knox Road in the Woodcrest Office Park, Bldg. T, Ste.2.

Thursday, October 28 Holistic Health Topics with Dr. Ulm. 7:00pm.

He will present alternative approaches to cancer, arteriosclerosis, and heart issues. New Leaf Market, 1235 Apalachee Pkwy, 850-942-2557, www. newleafmarket.coop.

The Garden Party: 29th Annual Capital City Quilt Show. Beginning Oct. 28th, view more than 100 beautifully hand-crafted and machine constructed quilts of all sizes. The Museum partners with Quilters Unlimited of Tallahassee to bring this popular show to the Museum gallery every year.

Museum of Florida History, R. A. Gray Bldg., 500 S. Bronough St., Downtown Tallahassee.

850.245.6400, www.museumoffloridahistory.com.

Healthy Living: Mapping Diabetes: A Road to Better Health - 10:30 am – Noon. Plan now to make this diabetes education program part of your holiday health regimen. An interactive curriculum that will be enjoyable, entertaining and educational.

If you are living with diabetes or know someone who is, these workshops will increase your knowledge and the quality of your life. Please register today at 891-4045. Tallahassee Senior Center 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

October Collage Retreat “Ancestral Freedom” - 1-5pm. In the spirit of Mexico ’s “Dia de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead), we will honor our ancestors with an eye to transforming unsupportive energy patterns. Whether we have been blessed or challenged by what was passed down to us, we can change energy patterns that drive us unconsciously.

We will create “healing collages” using photographs Saturday, October 30 or symbols of our familial predecessors. Using Boston Mini-Marathon Festival - 6am-8am. BosLicia’s unique “whole brain” collage approach, we ton, Georgia (East of Thomasville on US Hwy 84). will free ourselves from a place of consciousness www.bostonga.com. and light to make new choices for our own lives and the future of the planet. Pre-registration required at http://www.liciaberry.com/Events.htm or call Licia at 850-661-9370.

Golden Valley Crusaders & The New Tradition in Concert - 7:30pm. Tickets $10. Thomasville Municipal Auditorium, 144 E. Jackson St. (US 319).

866-577-3600, www.thomasvillega.com.

Monday, October 25 Healthy Autumn Cooking - 11 am– Noon. Join Sadiqa Williams from New Leaf Market as she delights us with a seasonal cooking demonstration.

Everyone will have the opportunity to sample some of her hearty and healthy culinary creations. Don’t miss the fun! Tallahassee Senior Center 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

Tuesday, October 26 Reiki. 10:30 am – Noon. Reiki is a way of working with the Universal Life Energy to enhance our own

Stay Connected with local events and breaking Holistic News Natural Awakenings - Tallahassee Invites You to our facebook fan page

natural awakenings

October 2010

35

ongoingcalendar SUNDAY Unity Eastside Services – 9:30am Meditation Service, 11am Celebration Service and Youth Ministry. 8551 Buck Lake Rd. 850-656-1678, www. transformingourworld.org.

Unity of Tallahassee Services – 9:30 & 11am Rev. Bill Williams. Dial-a-Thought 850-562-3766.

2850 Unity Lane, 850-562-5744, www.UnityofTallahassee.org.

Pagan Picnic and Red Hills Pagan Council Meeting – 11 am on the second Sunday of each month. At the picnic pavilions on the south side of Lake Ella. Come meet local Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Druids and other Earth worshippers. Bring a potluck dish to share, plates and utensils. Come for the picnic and stay for the RHPC monthly meeting at noon.

Hatha Yoga class - 6-7pm. Leslie Hanks’ Yoga Unlimited -Yoga and Ayurveda. 1st month $65.

Teacher Training Program, RYT 200. 850-3856904, www.leslieyoga.com.

Bhagavad Gita Study class at the Sanctuary – 2:00-3:30pm. We meet every other Sunday to recite and discuss the Bhagavad Gita - which is a sacred spiritual text literally translated as the “Song of God”. It is written in the form of a dialogue between the spiritual seeker and warrior prince, Arjuna and Lord Krishna on the eve of an epic battle in which Arjuna begins to question: “Why should I fight?

What is the meaning of life? Krishna persuades him to stand and fight and instructs him in spiritual wisdom and the means of attaining union with God. The three paths to God, karma yoga, the yoga of selfless action performed with inner detachment from its results; jnana yoga, the yoga of knowledge and discrimination between the lower nature of man and his soul, and bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion are explored. Please call Shyam with questions.

459-1582 or email halmonth@hotmail.com or joannadevi@earthlink.net. It is appropriate to start the class at any time. www.lakulishyogatallahassee. com. Location: 2824 Par Lane, Tallahassee.

Tallahassee Buddhist Book Discussion/Meditation Group. 1 to 2pm. Meets every 2nd and 4th Sunday in the Barnes N Noble Cafe in the Tallahassee Mall. Please contact Stacey Turknett for more information stayc1977@yahoo.com or 850-656-7066.

MONDAY Brain-Body-Memory Balance. 1:30-2:30pm.

Low impact, seated exercise. Bring water bottle and wear comfortable clothing. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

36

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

Spiritual Growth/Study Group based on the Edgar Cayce readings. 7pm . Join us or let us help you start your own group. Genevieve Blazek - (850) 893-3269.

Chan/Zen Group meets at 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. There are two 20-minute periods of seated meditation punctuated by short periods of either walking meditation or mindful Yoga. Each meeting concludes with a short session of question and answers. If you have no meditation experience, please arrive 20 minutes before the meeting for basic meditation instructions. For more information see us at www. tallahasseebuddhistcommunity.org/mondayevening. shtml. Located at the Tallahassee Buddhist Community in Railroad Square -- 647 McDonnell Drive.

TUESDAY Healing Arts Alliance Meeting – 7-8:30pm 2nd Tues each month. Educational meeting open to all interested in healing arts. Email Susie@FertileCrescent.net to get meeting announcements. www. healingartsalliance.org.

Men in Unity, Meets at 11:45 am on the second Tuesday of each month at Honey-Baked Ham, on Capital Circle near Mahan Drive.

Join the Light Family for a weekly Light Circle – 7:00pm. And, plant a Light Tree to bless your home and the Beloved Mother Earth! Call 850/443-3428 for further information.

Life Exercise - 9:30–10:30am, also Thurs. Aerobics, light weights, stretching. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St, 850-891-4000. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

Purpose of Yoga at the Sanctuary – 5:50 – 7:30.

This is an ongoing intermediate class limited to 9 people. It is designed for those who wish to explore in more depth the ultimate purpose for the practice of yoga. Key elements of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita are introduced. If you are interested, please call to discuss your interest and yoga experience. JoAnna 222-0291 or email joannadevi@earthlink.net or visit our website at www.lakulishyogatallahassee.com. 2824 Par Lane, Tallahassee.

WEDNESDAY Brain-Body- Memory Balance. 2:00-3:00 pm.

Low-impact, seated exercise. Bring water bottle and wear comfortable clothing. Heritage Oaks.

891-4000.

Blood Pressure Screenings. 10am-Noon, also Tues & Thurs. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St, 850-891-4000.

Blood Glucose Screenings. 10:00 am - Noon.

Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St, 891-4000.

Wednesdays at the Sanctuary, 6:00-7pm. $12 per class. Simple stretches and breathing to open the body and create some inner space free from the incessant static of the mind. A time to usher in a new consciousness, steeped in peace and tranquil silence. It’s a great way to help make it smoothly through the rest of your week! Class ends with a 20 minute yoga nidra guided meditation. Suitable for all levels. JoAnna 222-0291 or email joannadevi@earthlink.net or visit our website at www. lakulishyogatallahassee.com. Location: 2824 Par Lane, Tallahassee.

Prayer and meditation with Dr. Patty Ball Thomas, L.U.T. Noon. Unity Eastside, 8551 Buck Lake Road, admin@unity-eastside.org 656-1678.

Gentle Yoga with Geralyn Russell. 10:30-11:45 a.m. At Unity Eastside, 8551 Buck Lake Road. For information, please call Geralyn Russell at 8782843 or email her at yogawithgeralyn@yahoo.com Drop-ins are welcome.

Hatha Yoga class - 6-7pm. Leslie Hanks’ Yoga Unlimited -Yoga and Ayurveda. 1st month $65.

Teacher Training Program, RYT 200. 850-3856904, www.leslieyoga.com.

THURSDAY The NEW Lafayette Street Organic Growers’ Market - 3:00pm – dusk. Rain or shine! On Lafayette Street, across from The Moon in Tallahassee.

The Lafayette Street Growers’ Market features fresh local veggies and fruit, sold direct from our local small farmers. Meet your local small farmers at the Growers’ Markets.

Life Exercise. 9:30 –10:30am (see Tues). Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St, 891-4000.

Seated NIA Yoga (Neuromuscular Intergrative Action). 11:00 am-Noon. Taught by Lori Roberts, certified NIA yoga instructor. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

Massage Next dates: Thur, Oct 14 & 28 10:00 am – Noon, offered by Jonathan Walker, LMT. 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

Blood Pressure Screenings - 10am-12 Noon, also Wed & Thurs. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St, 850-891-4000. Tallahassee Senior Center. 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

Blood Pressure Screenings. 10am-Noon, also Tues & Thurs. Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

www.natallahassee.com

Yoga - 5:30 - 7:00pm at the Episcopal Church of the Advent. Learning to honor the very best in us…the

soul...the higher self...the light within...it is called by many names, and yet the urge to know this part of our SELVES is embedded into the very structure of our being. We will combine postures with inward focus, conscious breathing and meditative awareness to allow us to move from the periphery of our being to the center. As the process unfolds tension is released, the body relaxes, the mind calms and the light within begins to burn a little brighter! Please call 222-0291 or email joannadevi@earthlink.net with questions.

Visit our website at www.lakulishyogatallahassee. com. Location: 815 Piedmont Drive, Tallahassee.

Tallahassee Pagan Meetup - Second Thursday of each month at 7 pm. Come meet local Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, Druids and other practitioners of New-Age spirituality and religion! Make friends, share stories and exchange knowledge. For more information check out http://pagan.meetup.com/1296/ or email KrazyPagan@aol.com. Crystal Connection, 1105 Apalachee Parkway.

FRIDAY Wine Tasting - 5:30-7:30pm. FREE. New Leaf Market, 1235 Apalachee Pkwy, 850-942-2557, www. newleafmarket.coop.

Chair Yoga: 11 a.m. – Noon, by Certified Yoga Instructors Bridget Kamke. A gentle yoga workout for increased mobility, bladder control, self-esteem, and mental focus. Tallahassee Senior Center 1400 N. Monroe St. 891-4000.

Intermediate Modern Dance Classes. 6:308:00pm. The classes are ongoing and can be joined at any time. Enjoy moving to beautiful music from all over the world and develop body awareness, flexibility, strength and coordination. The location is Dance Effects Studio, 2900-2 Crescent Drive, off Capital Circle SE. For more information contact Béatrice Corbin at (850) 224-6369 or at beatricecor@gmail.com.

Devotional Chanting and Meditation- 7-9 PM on Second Friday of the month. Enrich your spiritual practice! Join Jeffji in singing easy-to-learn chants from eastern and western traditions. Donations will benefit the church. Unity Eastside, 8551 Buck Lake Road, 656-1678.

Drumming Circle. 7-9 p.m. on Third Fridays in the Children’s House behind Unity Eastside’s main building. A willing heart, moving hands and a loving participation is all that’s needed. Some percussion

classified PROPERTIES / RETREATS Need a place for retreat/conferences? Full service facility Georgia Mountains. www.

Enota.com 706-896-9966, 800-990-8869.

PRODUCTS / SERVICES Soy Candles, beautifully hand poured with Cotton wicks, magical inspirations. Visit: www.mysticelementsetc.com. Contact: info@ mysticlelementsetc.com BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES CURRENTLY PUBLISHING NATURAL AWAKENINGS MAGAZINES - For sale in Austin, TX; Manhattan, NY; Pensacola, FL; Southwest VA and Ventura/Santa Barbara, CA. Call for details 239-530-1377.

HELP WANTED Help your pets live healthier and longer.

Safe, Healthy Veterinarian Formulated Holistic pet food for dogs, cats and horses. www. familypetfood.com . Field Representatives wanted. instruments may be provided, but it if you have a drum, please bring it. Contact Mike Smith at msmithdrummerboy37@gmail.com for information. Unity Eastside, 8551 Buck Lake Road, www. unity-eastside.org 656-1678.

SATURDAY Beer Tasting – 4:30-6:30pm. FREE! New Leaf Market, 1235 Apalachee Pkwy, 850-942-2557, www.newleafmarket.coop.

Tallahassee Farmers Market at Market Square.

8am – 5pm. Year-round. rain or shine. Early Birds get the best selection! The oldest farmers market in Tallahassee. Growers and resellers. Organic and conventionally grown. 1415 Timberlane Rd Tallahassee.

Yoga Unlimited Early Risers’ Class - 8-9am. Yoga and Ayurveda. 1st month $65. Teacher Training Program, RYT 200. Leslie Hanks 850-385-6904, www.leslieyoga.com.

Make the Connection Join the online Natural Awakenings national directory, filled with natural living business listings from around the country.

REGISTER for your FREE business listing. It’s easy.

SEARCH for hundreds

of green and healthy living companies with products and services good for people and the planet.

FIND local Natural Awakenings magazines publishing in communities across America.

Follow your path to well-being…

Visit NaturalAwakeningsMag. com/directory to sign up for your FREE listing and to find the resources you need for a truly good life.

natural awakenings

October 2010

37

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY

healthy solutions, inc.

To find out how to advertise in CRG,

email TallaAdvertising@naturalawakeningsmag.com

to request our media kit.

ART Therapy

Licia Berry, Integrative Artist www.liciaberry.com licia@liciaberry.com (719) 850-1890

An artist and art educator with a passion for Jungian psychology, indigenous values, symbolism and writing (and over 25 years of professional experience), Licia blends visual image, written and spoken word, and healing and intuitive arts in original, unique art that reveal profound truths. Licia offers specialty commissioned collages for Rite of Passage, “Message from Spirit”, Birthday, Midlife, and Initiation into New Cycle (wonderful gifts!), playshops and customized Collage Retreats. With an international following on her Blog, FaceBook and Twitter, Licia’s genuine messages of self love and inner wisdom are gently affirming seekers all over the globe.

Cleaning

Tina’s Cleaning & Organizing Services 850-212-1223 Tinacleaning@hotmail.com www.HouseCleaningTallahassee.com

We offer eco-friendly cleaning of your home or office. We specialize in thorough, deep cleaning. This can include organizing your closet, kitchen or garage. We have more than 15 years experience and can provide reliable references.

coaching

Elizabeth Barbour, M.Ed. The Inspired Entrepreneur Life & Business Coach www.elizabethbarbour.com www.inspiredentrepreneur.com 850-893-5211

Ready to shift FROM TIRED TO INSPIRED in your business and life? Elizabeth helps women entrepreneurs to increase the visibility, credibility and profitability of their businesses while practicing self care at the same time! She offers group coaching, individual coaching and leads retreats around the country.

Rick Ferrall, lmt, 850-294-8069 521 E. College Ave., TLH 32301 www.healthy_solutions@comcast.net

CranioSacral Therapy addresses scoliosis, chronic fatigue and MS, infant disorders, learning disabilities, orthopedic problems, emotional difficulties, chronic neck/back pain, stress and tension related problems, TMJ, brain/spinal cord injuries, and cancer issues.

MA24604 / MM11960

FITNESS

Sweat Therapy Fitness Studios 850.222.1781 Manor@Midtown, Suites 10 & 5 1122 Thomasville Road (32303) www.SweatTherapyFitness.com

Offering a series of cutting-edge fitness classes featuring Tallahassee’s Only RealRyder® Cycle Studio; Indo-Row Classes; TRX Suspension Group Training; plus Nia - a series of unique and exhilarating cardio/yoga-style classes-all of which propel your body and soul to the next level. These workouts are flexible, spontaneous and FUN and offer special emphasis on activating the core muscles. Come and enjoy a personal training experience in a group settings.

healing

Healing Path Alice McCall

Advanced Energy Healer & Counselor BS Psychology, MBA, Hypnotherapist www.healingpath.info: 850-585-5496

I offer phone sessions, specializing in healing serious health issues and unwanted patterns. My book ‘Wellness Wisdom’ has little known information on natural health and healing; inspired by my journey with cancer. Free 15 minutes phone consultation to learn how I can help you.

healthcare Integrative Healthcare

N. Elizabeth Markovich, MSN, ARNP 850-878-4434 2016 Delta Blvd. Suite 100 Tallahasee 32308 www.IHCFL.com

We offer primary care, preventive care with a holistic approach. We use special testing with 11 outside laboratories to help find the cause of chronic illness and use a functional medicine approach (www.functionalmedicine.org). We also have hypnosis combined with acupuncture by IB Price MD, massage and cranio-sacral therapy by Angele LaGrave LMT and Nutritional Counseling by Leah Gilbert-Henderson PhD nutrition.Accept Medicare, Blue Cross, Universal, Aetna, others.

FLORIDA WELLNESS CENTER OF TALLAHASSEE 850.385.6664 2339 North Monroe Street (next to Boston Market) www.floridawellnessandrehab.com

At Florida Wellness & Rehabilitation Centers we are committed to keeping up with the latest technologies and treatments to provide our patients with the best rehabilitative experience possible. We believe in educating and encouraging our patients to take an active role in their own treatment.

holistic health

NEW GENESIS CENTER Patrice Bullock, MSN, Family Nurse Practitioner-C www.NewGenesisCenter.com 229-228-9050

A healthcare center-Functional medicine, patient-centered approach, non-drug, science-based, results oriented. Getting to the source of your health problems rather than bandaiding. Simple to complex problems. Skin care, digestive problems to the more complex health problems such as Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Chemical Sensitivity. Extraordinary results & health transformation. Functional medicine approach consults, hormone testing, detoxification, weight loss, expert skincare consult & prof. treatments, colonics, far-infrared sauna, physical therapy, massage therapy,

HYPNOSIS

DARLENE TREESE, Ph.D.

State Board Licensed 850-201-0073

Diplomate in Sports Counseling, National Institute of Sports Professionals. Past President, American Psychotherapy and Medical Hypnosis Association. e-Therapy and TherapyChat/Office-Based Hypnosis and Life Coaching/Professional Seminar Training www.

AskDrTreese.com

integrative medicine

Archbold Integrative Medicine Center

John Mansberger, MD, Medical Director.

229-228-7008; 2705 E. Pinetree Blvd. #C, Thomasville, GA 31792.

A holistic team approach to a variety of medical problems. Offering acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, pain relief, natural hormone replacement, Cancer therapy, nutrition, weight control, herbal medicine, yoga and physical therapy. www.archbold.org.

photography

Ansley Studio

Ansley Simmons artist . photographer . owner 229.224.6021 • www.AnsleyStudio.com

Specializing in portraits & weddings. MFA in Photography, Arts Administration Doctoral Student, Art Museum Education Certificate Florida State University

38

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

www.natallahassee.com

Physical Therapy.

Sherry Simpson, P.T.

354 Office Plaza Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32301 850-877-7310 SSimpsonpt@embarqmail.com

I have over 27 years of experience in physical therapy working with all ages and disabilities. Treatment modalities are primarily hands-on techniques and include myofacial release, craniosacral therapy, visceral techniques, muscle energy and more. Treatments also include gentle movement re-eduction. For any chronic condition as well as for general health, wellness and stress reduction.

professional SERVICES

Southeastern community blood ctr.

1-800-722-2218.

Located in Tallahassee; Marianna, FL; Thomasville & Douglas, GA. scbcinfo.org

Blood donors save lives. Is there any greater reward? Save Lives. Give Blood. M-F, 9am–6pm. (Sat. hours in Tallahassee: 9am–1pm)

REAL ESTATE TEAM - KW

worship

Debbie Leo - 273-9306 Jennifer Stowell - 567-3223

You can have a green home or find a green home for your family’s health and future. If you’re looking to buy or sell, call Debbie Leo and Jenn Stowell!

Your Tallahassee Keller Williams agents.

YOGA

8551 Buck Lake Road, TLH, 850-656-1678 Rev. Jean Debarbieris Owen, Minister www.unity-eastside.org

Rev. Jean believes the love of God is unfolding in each person, place, Thing. Join us in Worship: Meditation Service 9:30 AM - Celebration Service 11AM; Youth Ministry 11AM, noon prayer Wed.

UNITY OF TALLAHASSEE

NAMASTE YOGA

www.namaste-tallahassee.com 850-222-0003 325 1369 East Lafayette Street ellsha@comcast.net

UNITY EASTSIDE

2850 Unity Lane, TLH, 850-562-5744, Rev. Bill Williams, Minister,

An array of day and evening classes by a variety Of certified teachers trained in different traditions: Kripalu, Iyengar and Ashtanga. Drop by or visit our Website for a schedule of current classes or see the Calendar of events.

A ministry that seeks inspiration from the teachings of Jesus and finds common ground with spiritual masters from other traditions. We invite you to join us. Sunday Services 9:30 & 11 AM. Youth Education 11 AM. Wednesday Service at Noon.

natural awakenings

October 2010

39

FLORIDA WELLNESS CENTER A

CHI ROP R A C TI C

P R A C TI C E

NOW OPEN! WE OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES INCLUDING: Rehabilitation | Physical Therapy | Strength Training | Manipulation Massage | Musculoskeletal Evaluation | On-site X-Rays Clinical Nutrition | Chiropractic Treatments Dr. Jeff Yahraus, Chiropractic Physician LIC#CH9044 MM 24043

40

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT CALL (850) 385-6664

Tallahassee, S. Georgia, Gulf Coast

2339 NORTH MONROE ST. (NEXT TO BOSTON MARKET)

www.natallahassee.com

FLORIDA WELLNESS CENTER OF TALLAHASSEE