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VASCULAR Linda Carroll on SACRED VITALITY The Skills VESSELS Taking Steps in the That Make The Lifeblood Right Direction Love Last of Heart Health February 2020 | Pittsburgh, PA Edition | naturalawakeningsswpa.com February 2020

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

PITTSBURGH, PA EDITION Publisher Michelle Dalnoky Editor Martin Miron Calendar Editor Sara Peterson Ad Designer Zina Cochran Design & Production C. Michele Rose Sales & Marketing Michelle Dalnoky Lisa Doyle

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letter from publisher

Grateful for Love Love is not easy. I have learned that the most important thing that we can have or share is love. In fact, it really is the only thing that matters. Because I have been a nurse for so long and have taken care of mostly older people and those at the end of life, this awareness has been reinforced on many occasions.

When I was a night shift nurse in the hospital, I worked on the oncology (cancer) floor for some time. I liked this shift because I felt I had more time to care for people, and as a single mom with a small child, I didn’t want to be away all day. Many people spent their last days on that unit, and they often shared stories of love and regret with me. They revealed all of what mattered, and it was usually about love—the love of husbands and wives, lovers and partners, children, friends and even pets.

They rarely talked about money or fine possessions, cars or jewelry. They didn’t talk about how large their houses were or how impressive their diamonds looked. They spoke of the love they had, the love they had lost and even regrets about love. Some very sad people died with painful regret for love that they had taken for granted or foolishly squandered. What I learned is that we are lucky to have love. It may be a love that lasts a lifetime or a love that is fleeting. Sometimes love burns hot, sometimes it simmers and sometimes it burns out, but the memory of that love still exists, no matter the outcome. Where there once was love it will always remain, even if contact is lost. People may move on or become lost to us; life in this realm may end, but love never really goes away.

As I get older, I realize that gratitude for the love that I have had and still have is what soothes the heartache. If we can turn our sorrow or pain of the loss of love into gratitude, that love will continue to glow and nourish our hearts. Any form of love is a gift, and one that we are lucky to have or have had.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Natural Awakenings is a family of more than 70 healthy living magazines celebrating 26 years of providing the communities we serve with the tools and resources we all need to lead healthier lives on a healthy planet.

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Contents 9 DISRUPTING

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DISPOSABLES

The Drive to Banish Single-Use Plastics

10 HEALING JOINTS FROM WITHIN

The Promise of Regenerative Medicine

12 A FEAST FOR ALL SEASONS

Embracing the Rainbow Year-Round

14 VITAL STEPS

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The Path to Vascular Fitness

16 SACRED VESSELS The Lifeblood of Heart Health

20 GOOD HEARTS

START YOUNG

Boosting Kids’ Cardiovascular Health

22 PAIN RELIEF FOR PETS Prolotherapy Gives Joints New Life

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23 CHOOSING LOVE

How to Cope With Fearful Times

24 LINDA CARROLL

on Skills That Make Love Last

DEPARTMENTS 4 news brief 5 health briefs 8 global briefs 9 green living 10 healing ways 12 conscious eating 14 fit body

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healthy kids natural pet inspiration wise words calendar resource guide classifieds February 2020

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news brief

Andy Warhol Museum Hosts Unique Exhibit

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ndy Warhol: Revelation is the first exhibition to comprehensively examine the Pop artist’s deeply rooted Catholic faith in relation to his artistic production. Running through February 16, Revelation features more than 100 objects from the museum’s permanent collection, including archival materials, drawings, paintings, prints and film.

Rare source material and newly discovered items provide an intimate look on Warhol’s creative process. Christian motifs frequently appear in both explicit and metaphorical forms throughout the body of Andy Warhol’s oeuvre. While his monumental crosses and depictions of Christ directly reference biblical stories, this exhibition will also explore his coded depictions of spirituality such as an unfinished film reel depicting the setting sun, originally commissioned by the de Menil family and funded by the Roman Catholic Church.

Throughout his life as a celebrity artist, Warhol retained some of his Catholic practices when his peers were distancing themselves from their religious backgrounds. Yet, his relationship with Catholicism was far from simple.

Location: 117 Sandusky St., Pittsburgh. For more information, visit Warhol.org.

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health briefs

Vitamin D Fights Cancer One out of every eight women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is the fastest growing cancer among men.

More than 207,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer last year. If there was a new drug that lowered the risk of a woman having breast cancer by 50 percent, it would be all over the news. This news exists in a simple vitamin.

If women would take just 3,500 international units of Vitamin D3 a day, they would cut their chances of having breast cancer by half. Vitamin D has many far-reaching health effects and is one of the most potent anticancer nutrients there is. We may have to take much more if levels are already too low. The optimal blood level of vitamin D is 60 to 90 nanograms per milliliter. This can be measured easily and should be done regularly.

Before choosing to supplement with vitamin D, have blood levels checked, then vitamin D3 over the synthetic vitamin D2. Those with naturally dark pigmented skin are probably deficient in vitamin D. The dark pigment, melanin, protects our skin from the damaging rays of the sun, but also limits our ability to manufacture vitamin D efficiently. Thus it is especially important for darker-skinned people to have their vitamin D levels checked.

The biggest risk factors when it comes to breast cancer are low vitamin D levels; estrogen dominance; toxic exposure (food, smoking, chemicals, plastics); iodine deficiency; and estrogen metabolism variance or dysfunction.

A genetic predisposition or family history of breast cancer is not a sentence that a person will automatically get the disease. Epigenetics, which is the concept that the environment and its triggers supersede these genes as the determining factor. The environmental triggers and signals we give our genes are most important. Understanding these risk factors and measuring them helps determine the best course to take in reducing that risk and making sure that the cancer gene does not get turned on.

Take advantage of new science that allows a functional medicine practitioner to measure risk factors that influence health today and tomorrow.

Dr. William Howrilla, DC, CFMP, is the clinic director of YourHealthInvestigator.com. See ad, page 8.

February 2020

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Qigong, a traditional Chinese massage technique and movement practice, may offer hope for the one in 68 American children suffering from autism spectrum disorder. Researchers at Portugal’s Oporto University reviewed 10 high-quality studies, all of which involved massage for children as young as 2, including two which also employed slow qigong movements and breathwork for older children. Previous studies have found that the qigong type of gentle massage practiced for 15 minutes daily by parents on autistic children helps the children tolerate touch, feel reassured by it and bond more deeply with parents that also feel less stress.

The meta-study affirmed, “Qigong seems to be able to decrease severity of individual sensory, behavioral and language components of autism, and improve self-control, sociability, sensory and cognitive awareness, as well as healthy physical behavior.”

Use Pumpkin Seed Oil to Dodge Hypertension Postmenopausal women are more likely to develop hypertension than men their age, but taking pumpkin seed oil daily may head off that condition, report researchers from Marymount University, in Arlington, Virginia. In a blind study of 23 participants, women taking three grams of pumpkin seed oil for six weeks had significantly reduced systolic blood pressure, as well as better blood flow in their arteries. The oil “might be effective in the prevention and treatment of hypertension in this population,” write the authors.

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It used to be expected that most people in their 40s or 50s would start a daily baby aspirin for heart protection, almost like a right of passage into middle age.

The idea was that aspirin, a natural blood thinner, would help with preventing heart disease, typically caused by arteries blocked with plaques that make it hard for thicker blood to move past.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that generally speaking, aspirin is commonly prescribed for those people that already have had a heart attack or stroke. This is to prevent future heart attacks and strokes in this already at-risk population. The changes in guidelines, however, apply to “primary prevention” about using aspirin to prevent heart attack or stroke in those people that haven’t suffered from these issues yet.

It is no longer recommended that everybody be on a baby aspirin to prevent heart disease. As with any major decision, we must weigh the risks and benefits. Talking with a doctor about taking aspirin may determine that the risk of having a heart attack is low compared to the higher risk of bleeding from aspirin use that could cause major problems.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force, which provides guidelines for preventive services, recommends against aspirin in those younger than 50 or older than 70 for primary prevention. That group between ages 50 and 70 should have a shared discussion with their physician about this decision.

There are also non-pharmacologic ways to prevent and even reverse heart disease. Dr. Dean Ornish has shown this extensively with the incorporation of a plantbased diet. Don’t forget the importance of daily cardiovascular exercise, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, stress management and social support.

Natalie Gentile, M.D., is the owner of Gentile Family Direct Primary Care, LLC. For more information, call 412219-4613 or visit GentileFamilyDPC.com. See Resource Guide, page 30.

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Practice Qigong Massage to Improve Autism Symptoms in Children

Aspirin Relationship to Heart Disease in Flux

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health briefs

Become a Stress Hero Every Day Stress is at the heart of the top three lifestyle diseases: heart disease, diabetes and obesity. No one wakes up and says. “I want a lifestyle with a disease.” Stress is not an optimal state for digesting a meal, much less all of life. Most of our behavior is repetitive, so when stress accompanies our routine, we have a stress habit.

Here’s a solution.

Wake with a 20-to-30-minute, holistic, pleasurable morning ritual to support positive mind-set, repose our heart, reclaim our magic and reframe all stressful obstacles in our way Reaching up to say, “Thank You!” gets the body moving with gladness.

Cuddling or coupling turns on our feel-good oxytocin hormones. Make the bed to get productivity underway. Check in with inner technology before outer technology (devices). A quick session of qigong, yoga or rebounding is great for the immune system.

As part of our personal hygiene, dance floss. Put on a smile and say, “You look marvelous!” into the mirror. Get outdoors. Breathe deeply with silent affirmation or prayer that all is well. Watch the sunrise to regulate circadian rhythms. Drink 16 to 30 ounces of filtered water on an empty stomach to purify and renew the body, clear the brain fog and aid in metabolism.

Eat breakfast to stabilize blood sugar. Check to-do lists, delegate chores and prioritize tasks. Be present and free from worry. Read for inspiration and wisdom. Hum, drum, laugh. Let the world know we’re alive. Use the superpowers of intuition and creativity with meditation and EFT-tapping. Journal our truth. Be grateful. Practice devotion to that which is greater to keep our humanity shining.

If creating a healthier lifestyle sounds like a great way to experience our personal best in 2020, consider the support of a health coach.

D’Anna V. Kromer is the owner of She’s My Health Coach, located at 1195 W. Laurel Circle, in Mount Pleasant. For more information, call 724-331-3365 or email ShesMyHealthCoach@gmail.com. See Resource Guide, page 30.

Get Nutritional and Antifungal Benefits from Celery Researchers from Cameroon’s University of Buea studied the properties of nine local vegetables and found that celery, Apium graveolens, had some of the highest levels of antifungal properties, as well as high levels of nutritional lipids, protein, vitamin C, copper, zinc and phosphorous. Also scoring high in nutritional and antifungal value were the seeds of Irvingia gabonensis, African or bush mango, sometimes used in the U.S. in weightloss products.

cover artist

You Are Love Gloria di Simone Artist Gloria di Simone’s featured cover painting, You Are Love, reflects her long-held passion for color. She refers to her paintings as “axquarelli”, her unique variation on the Italian word for watercolor, saying, “They are—tempera—a rather diluted paint on watercolor paper.” In many of her paintings, she also adds diamond water and gold for unusual effects. “My images are focused on vibration and energy,” explains di Simone.

She leads workshops in creative painting that focus on freeing the inner child in everyone. “My creativity and passion for color has been my life focus, and it brings me great joy to share that,” says di Simone. She describes her axquarelli paintings as intuitive and heartwarming: “I hope they bring peace and exude a balancing of environmental energies.”

Through her innate abilities, she blends colors to embed her paintings with healing vibrations.

A native of Naples, Italy, di Simone currently makes her home there after spending 28 years in Rome. In addition to being an artist, she has also worked as an architect, graphic designer, art director, furniture designer and teacher.

View the artist’s portfolio at GloriaDiSimone.WordPress.com.

February 2020

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Alex Yuzhakov/Shutterstock.com

global briefs

Green Horizons

A Billion Trees in Eight Years

Marrying forestry to technology, the startup Flash Forest, in Toronto, is using aerial drones to plant trees 10 times faster than human planters with a goal of 1 billion trees by 2028.

Since testing prototype devices last year, it has already planted several thousand trees across Ontario using pregerminated seed pods containing a mixture of species. The drones are capable of planting trees at just 50 cents per pod, or a quarter of the cost of typical planting methods.

Funded partly by a Kickstarter campaign, the group will start planting trees in April, with at least 150,000 in the ground by the end of this year. At full capacity, one drone operator will be able to plant 100,000 seed pods per day.

Flash Forest spokesperson Angelique Ahlstrom says, “Our goals are to have a significant and measurable impact on mitigating climate change in the next decade, while combatting deforestation and biodiversity loss on a global scale. We feel we are one of the only ways that the federal government will be able to fulfill its pledge to plant 2 billion trees in the next 10 years.”

Water Win

A drought-plagued Kenyan region is using a new, solarpowered, desalination plant from the international nonprofit GivePower to obtain clean water.

Before the plant’s arrival in the town of Kiunga, villagers had completely run out of clean drinking water and had to use dirty well water and saltwater from the Indian Ocean. The new solar water farm produces enough drinking water that’s cleaner than typical desalination plants for more than 35,000 people every day.

GivePower has a mission of using renewable energy as a means of bringing water, food and energy to places that need it most. They plan on building similar facilities in other drought-prone countries such as Colombia and Haiti.

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Riccardo Mayer/Shutterstock.com

Fresh H20 Comes to Kenya Town

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green living

Disrupting Disposables The Drive to Banish Single-Use Plastics

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by Yvette C. Hammett

niversities, sports There is momentum, Judd Michael is working arenas, restaubut it is challenging. with sports facilities to rants and other lower both plastics use businesses are taking up ~Eric DesRoberts and littering; the initiathe call to “disrupt dispostive is working so well ables” as part of a global effort to dramatithat their approaches may be taken up by cally cut down on single-use plastics. The other schools across the nation. “One of environmental problems caused by those my projects is with NASCAR’s Pocono ubiquitous throwaways have become a Raceway [also in Pennsylvania], where the mainstay of news reporting, and studies on owners of the track wanted to continue how best to reduce them through public to make the venue more green,” he says. policy abound. A recent Canadian research “There is zero waste in suites for that paper in the Marine Pollution Bulletin track, and they are initiating a compreexplores strategies such as bans, tax levies hensive recycling program. They try to get and education. Experts agree that it is not tailgaters to participate, as well.” just a litter problem, but a sobering matter On campus, Penn State provides bags of human and planetary health. of different colors for tailgaters with instrucAs these plastics wind up in the oceans tions for fans to separate recyclables in one and landfills worldwide, they can languish bag and everything else in the other. That virtually intact for up to 1,000 years, entanprogram was exported to Pocono. Michael gling and choking marine mammals and is also working with PepsiCo, which owns terrestrial wildlife. Or, they break into toxic Frito-Lay, to develop alternative packaging. microplastics that enter drinking water The University of Florida’s efforts supplies, eventually ingested by humans. began in 2012, when the campus freed Because plastics are made from petroleum, itself from plastic bags, getting buy-in from their production also adds to greenhouse Chick-Fil-A, Subway and other eateries gases that contribute to the climate crisis. that agreed to switch to alternatives. “We’ve Two-pronged efforts by businesses and been Styrofoam-free since 2012, as well,” individuals to divert plastics from the waste says Allison Vitt, outreach and communicasystem and replacing them with Earthtions coordinator for the UF Office of Susfriendly alternatives will eventually pay off, tainability. “At the end of 2018, we officially experts say, but it will be a long and slow switched over all to compostable straws.” process. However, momentum is buildThey feel like plastic, but are certified coming, spurred by consumer demand and a postable, she says. growing number of enterprising businesses, UF has engaged with Cupanion, a organizations and academic institutions. company that developed an app that has At Penn State University, agricula “fill it forward” program, distributing ture and biological engineering professor money to clean-water charities worldwide.

A lot of local folks have really changed their perspective. We see a lot more customers coming in and saying they appreciate that we are using compostable cups and compostable straws. ~Dana Honn “Since 2016, we’ve been working with them to reduce single-use plastic, rewarding people for reusing their bottles,” says Vitt.

Interested students, staff and faculty are given a barcode sticker to scan on their phone each time a bottle is refilled at a campus retailer or water fountain. The app provides points that can be redeemed for monthly prizes. “It also shows you your personal footprint—your cumulative impact, like how many single-use bottles you have avoided,” she says.

On a smaller scale, Dana Honn and his wife Christina went completely plasticfree upon opening Café Carmo, in New Orleans. “We only had about a dozen seats, but determined to have as little waste as possible. Every year, we were able to build upon it,” he says.

“A lot of local folks have really changed their perspective. We see a lot more customers coming in and saying they appreciate that we are using compostable cups and compostable straws.”

It’s a slow, but steady effort, says Eric DesRoberts, senior manager of the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas program.

“We have worked with a number of restaurants talking about why it is important to be taking action to keep plastics out of the waste stream and out of the ocean.”

More people are volunteering to clean up and cut back on plastics, and more businesses are asking the nonprofit, Washington, D.C.-based, environmental advocacy organization how they can do their part. “There is momentum, but it is challenging,” says DesRoberts.

Yvette C. Hammett is an environmental writer based in Valrico, Florida. Connect at YvetteHammett28@hotmail.com.

February 2020

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HEALING JOINTS FROM WITHIN

The Promise of Regenerative Medicine

by Marlaina Donato

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omeday, medical science will allow us to infuse damaged or aging organs with new cells, or to manufacture made-to-order organs on a 3-D printer.

These emerging techniques to revitalize worn-out body parts are on the drawing board in the field of regenerative medicine.

However, for the injured college athlete or the grandmother with compromised joint function, healing and pain relief can already be found in the form of prolotherapy and other non-invasive approaches that stimulate the body to heal itself.

Injection therapies using dextrose or the patient’s own platelets or stem cells are being used to naturally stimulate the body to produce collagen and rejuvenated tissue, offering hope to those with soft tissue injuries, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease and even pain syndromes like fibromyalgia. A recent review in the British Medical Bulletin of 10 high-quality studies of dextrose prolotherapy in adults with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee showed patients experienced significantly less pain and improved range of motion in both the short term and long term without adverse effects. Eighty-two percent of patients were satisfied with the treatment.

Controlled Inflammation

A type of regenerative medicine innovated by osteopathic physician Earl Gedney in the 1930s, prolotherapy induces low-grade, 10

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temporary inflammation with the intention of triggering connective tissue cells called fibroblasts in and around the injection site.

“If you cut your arm or twist your ankle, various immune cells rush to the area to begin the repair process. This is a very basic comparison of what prolotherapy does with injections directed to specific anatomical points,” says Ross A. Hauser, M.D., founder of Caring Medical Regenerative Medicine Clinics, in Fort Myers, Florida, and Chicago.

“Prolotherapy is used to treat osteoarthritis because it helps correct the underlying reason why it has occurred, which is joint instability. The body overgrows bone as a long-term response in an effort to stabilize an unstable joint,” Hauser says.

Naturopathic physician Brent Cameron, of Aurora Natural Medicine, in Gilbert, Arizona, suggests individualized treatment plans for best results. “My recommendations are very patient-specific, which is an important piece in prolotherapy.” Cameron says his patients are likely to start seeing relief in the first week. “In many instances, they experience complete relief and mobility after a series of treatments.”

While Cameron attests to the efficacy of dextrose prolotherapy, he is cautious with recommending it for people with systemic inflammatory conditions. “Someone with a history of joint-related autoimmune response tends to mount stronger inflammatory responses. Other forms of regenera-

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tive medicine can be helpful for rheumatoid arthritis [RA], but not in the inflammation-mediated way, like prolotherapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections.”

One option, according to the Institute of Regenerative Medicine, in Boca Raton, Florida, might be very small embryoniclike stem cells (VSELS), an emerging form of regenerative stem cell therapy. These have shown promise in dealing with RA and other autoimmune diseases. Meanwhile, the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine is ramping up its research into approaches that stimulate the body to repair itself, with numerous ongoing clinical trials utilizing different injection therapies for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

The Power of Platelets

PRP injections are similar to prolotherapy, using platelets from the patient’s body instead of dextrose. “As blood flows through an injury site, the inflammatory chemicals trigger the platelets to release growth factors, which causes the torn fibers of the damaged structures to heal,” says Fort Worth osteopath Gerald Harris, of Texas Prolotherapy and Neural Therapy. PRP is sometimes used in conjunction with stem cell therapy, which is typically applied in cases in which something needs to be replaced, to help fill in gaps in ligaments or tendons, Harris says.

PRP injections have proven to be effective in easing chronic low back pain from damaged vertebral discs. An overview of research published in the Journal of Spine Surgery in 2018 found it to be safe, effective and feasible, with promising potential for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. Harris says that people that wish to avoid surgery or cortisone injections can benefit from PRP, which can also be applied topically to treat non-healing wounds like bedsores and diabetic ulcers.

Harris subscribes to the power of persistence. “Don’t give up. With proper treatment there is a strong likelihood that you can live a happy, healthy life free from chronic pain.”

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

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healing ways

Share the love not the cold

had colds going round and round, but not me.”

Some users say it also helps with sinuses. Attorney Donna Blight had a 2-day sinus headache. When her CopperZap arrived, she tried it. “I am shocked!” she said. “My head cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.”

Some users say copper stops nighttime stuffiness if used just before cientists recently discovered bed. One man said, “Best sleep I’ve had time. He hasn’t had a single cold for 7 a way to kill viruses and in years.” years since. bacteria.

Copper can also stop flu if used early He asked relatives and friends to try Now thousands of people are using it it. They said it worked for them, too, so and for several days. Lab technicians to stop colds and flu. placed 25 million live flu viruses on a he patented CopperZap™ and put it on Colds start CopperZap. No viruses were found alive the market. when cold viruses soon after.

Soon hundreds get in your nose.

Dr. Bill Keevil led one of the teams of people had Viruses multiply confirming the discovery. He placed tried it and given fast. If you don’t millions of disease germs on copper. feedback. Nearly stop them early, “They started to die literally as soon as 100% said the they spread and they touched the surface,” he said. copper stops colds cause misery.

People have even used copper on if used within 3 In hundreds cold sores and say it can completely hours after the first of studies, EPA prevent outbreaks. sign. Even up to New research: Copper stops colds if used early. and university The handle is 2 days, if they researchers have confirmed that viruses curved and finely still get the cold it is milder than usual and bacteria die almost instantly when textured to improve and they feel better. touched by copper. contact. It kills germs Users wrote things like, “It stopped That’s why ancient Greeks and picked up on fingers my cold right away,” and “Is it Egyptians used copper to purify water and hands to protect supposed to work that fast?” and heal wounds. They didn’t know you and your family.

“What a wonderful thing,” wrote about microbes, but now we do.

Copper even kills Physician’s Assistant Julie. “No more Dr. Bill Keevil: Copper quickly kills deadly germs that Scientists say the high conductance colds for me!” cold viruses. of copper disrupts the electrical balance have become resistant Pat McAllister, 70, received one in a microbe cell and destroys the cell in for Christmas and called it “one of the to antibiotics. If you are near sick seconds. best presents ever. This little jewel really people, a moment of handling it may Tests by the EPA (Environmental keep serious infection away. It may even works.”

Protection Agency) show germs die save a life.

Now thousands of users have simply fast on copper. So some hospitals tried The EPA says copper still works stopped getting colds. copper for touch surfaces like faucets even when tarnished. It kills hundreds of People often use CopperZap and doorknobs. This cut the spread of preventively. Frequent flier Karen Gauci different disease germs so it can prevent MRSA and other illnesses by over half, serious or even fatal illness. used to get colds after crowded flights. and saved lives.

CopperZap is made in America of Though skeptical, she tried it several The strong scientific evidence gave pure copper. It has a 90-day full money times a day on travel days for 2 months. inventor Doug Cornell an idea. When back guarantee. It is $69.95.

“Sixteen flights and not a sniffle!” she he felt a cold about to start he fashioned Get $10 off each CopperZap with exclaimed. a smooth copper probe and rubbed it Businesswoman Rosaleen says when code NATA17.

Go to www.CopperZap.com or call gently in his nose for 60 seconds. people are sick around her she uses “It worked!” he exclaimed. “The cold CopperZap morning and night. “It saved toll-free 1-888-411-6114.

Buy once, use forever. never got going.” It worked again every me last holidays,” she said. “The kids ADVERTORIAL 11 February 2020

New device stops cold and flu

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Food always tastes better in the season it was intended to be eaten in. ~Brigit Binns

A Feast for All Seasons Embracing the Rainbow Year-Round

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by April Thompson

o matter where we live, eating seasonally in winter doesn’t have to be boring or limiting; a culinary adventure awaits the home chef that’s willing to leave avocados and asparagus to their rightful seasons and embrace the winter rainbow of bitter greens, sweet potatoes, sunny citrus and fuchsia beets, among other timely delicacies.

“Sometimes people think of winter foods as brown and soft and boring, and it’s absolutely not the case. Winter brings bright things like pomegranates, beets and citrus, which offer color and acidity,” says Brigit Binns, the Paso Robles, California author of 30 cookbooks, including Cooking in Season: 100 Recipes for Eating Fresh.

Eating seasonally is especially important in winter, says Shannon Stonger of Texas, author of Simple Food for Winter: 30 Grain-Free Recipes to Get You Through the Dark Days. “Winter foods like fermented vegetables, root vegetables, squashes and hardy greens are especially helpful in the colder, darker months, when our bodies are in need of comfort foods as well as pre- and probiotic foods,” says Stonger, a homesteader and founder of the blog NourishingDays.com.

There are plenty of other reasons to stick to a seasonal diet in winter, adds Binns.

“Food always tastes better in the season

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it was intended to be eaten in. Seasonal foods are naturally ripened, rather than harvested early and trucked in. In addition to enhanced flavor, eating seasonally helps minimize use of fossil fuels to bring our food to us, and is likely to be less expensive.”

Winterizing the Kitchen

Much of the fall harvest, particularly root vegetables, stores well through the winter (hence the idea of a root cellar), extending produce across seasons, according to Steven Satterfield, chef and author of Root to Leaf: A Southern Chef Cooks Through the Seasons. There are lots of root vegetables beyond just carrots and potatoes to be enjoyed in winter, including sunchokes, parsnips and turnips, which can be used creatively rather than “boiled to death,” says Satterfield. For example, the Atlanta restaurateur incorporates parsnips into an upside-down cake with winter spices like nutmeg, black pepper and ginger.

Binns likes to add texture to winter dishes with nuts, color with herbs, and crunch with a winter vegetable like fennel.

Warming soups are always comforting during the coldest season, but she also likes warm salads, like a beet and escarole salad drizzled with a warm sherry vinaigrette.

Satterfield suggests that specialty citrus like blood oranges, Meyer lemons

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and cross-hybridized varieties such as tangelos and pomelos are fun to intersperse with winter vegetables to maximize brightness and freshness. A lot of winter produce can be great in raw form as well, he adds, including Brussels sprouts, rutabaga or daikon radish, shaved thinly or julienned into a salad.

Winter squash is a favorite staple of the Stonger family in the cooler months.

“It is easy to grow, easy to store and so deliciously sweet and rich. We roast it as a side dish, mash it as a sort of breakfast porridge or make soups and curries from it,” says Stonger.

Satterfield suggests using all the parts of winter vegetables to maximize the harvest and minimize food waste.

For example, the seeds of winter squashes can be roasted with herbs and spices and eaten as is, churned into other dishes such as a squash seed granola or blended and strained into a homemade broth to add some texture, fat and flavor. After roasting carrots with Moroccan spices, Satterfield suggests taking the leafy carrot tops and chopping them with cilantro and garlic to make a green sauce to crown the carrots.

Swiss chard stems can also be chopped and cooked into Portuguese bread soup, with leftover stale bread made into olive oil croutons and egg whites stirred in at the end.

Winter Health Boosters

Beyond selecting seasonal produce, chefs recommend a few key dietary tweaks in winter, such as stepping up vitamin D consumption. “Since you’re not seeing a lot of sun this time of year, it’s more important to get it through colorful vegetables like carrots, cabbage or radicchio.

Watermelon radishes are another winter vegetable full of vitamins,” says Binns.

“You can grow your own sprouts throughout the winter as a great microgreen option. Sprouts are incredibly high in enzymes, something often lacking in other winter dishes,” suggests Stonger. “Fermented vegetables and other fermented foods can make up the difference in winter.”

April Thompson is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. Connect at AprilWrites.com.

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conscious eating

Winter Salad Wonders For the vinaigrette: Fresh orange juice or as needed 1 Tbsp champagne vinegar ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

photo by Ray Kachatorian

Cut the celery in half lengthwise. Using a serrated vegetable peeler or a mandoline, shave the celery into thin strips lengthwise down the ribs. Cut the strips in half crosswise and place in a bowl of water. Set aside.

Separate the mâche leaves and transfer to a shallow serving bowl. Working on a plate to capture all the juices, use a serrated knife to cut a thick slice off the top and bottom of each citrus fruit. Working with one fruit at a time, stand it upright and, following the contour of the fruit, carefully slice downward to remove the peel, pith and membrane. Set the fruit on its side and cut crosswise into slices about ⅜-inch thick, discarding any seeds. Transfer the slices to the bowl with the mâche, reserving the juices for the vinaigrette.

Mixed Citrus Salad With Mâche, Fennel and Celery Winter is the height of citrus season, with an appealing display of oranges, mandarins, tangerines, tangelos, pomelos and more in the best-stocked markets. Use a varied mixture of sweet-tart types for the prettiest, tastiest salad.

photo by Ray Kachatorian

Yields: 4 servings 2 ribs celery 2 bunches mâche 2 lb mixed citrus fruits, such as navel oranges, blood oranges, tangerines, mandarins and pomelos ½ fennel bulb, trimmed 8 kumquats ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Cut the fennel lengthwise in half. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, cut the fennel crosswise into very thin slices and tuck among the citrus slices. Drain the celery and distribute evenly over the salad. Using the serrated knife, cut each kumquat crosswise into very thin slices, discarding any seeds. Scatter the kumquat slices evenly over the salad, then sprinkle the almonds over the top.

You can grow your own sprouts throughout the winter as a great microgreen option. ~Shannon Stonger

Chard and Squash Salad 1 small winter squash, such as sweet dumpling, acorn or golden 2 small beets, trimmed 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 bunch Swiss chard, tough ribs removed and leaves torn Red wine vinaigrette or vinaigrette of choice Sea salt and freshly ground pepper Cut the winter squash into wedges and remove the seeds, if desired. Transfer the wedges to a baking dish. Halve the beets and add to the dish. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat. Bake in a preheated 450° F oven, stirring once, until tender and lightly browned, 20 to 40 minutes. Let cool. Peel and slice the beets. Place the chard in a bowl, drizzle with some of the vinaigrette. Toss to coat. Add the squash and beets, drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

From Cooking in Season: 100 Recipes for Eating Fresh, by Brigit Binns

To make the vinaigrette, pour the reserved citrus juices into a measuring cup. Add enough additional orange juice to measure ½ cup then add the vinegar. Whisking constantly, slowly add the olive oil and whisk until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, toss gently to coat, and serve.

From Cooking in Season: 100 Recipes for Eating Fresh, by Brigit Binns

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

February 2020

13

VITAL STEPS The Path to Vascular Fitness

For blood vessel flexibility, any sort of sustained aerobic exercise helps.

Find something you enjoy so that you’ll keep doing it in the long term.

by Marlaina Donato

~Alex Hutchinson

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t is well-known that exercise combats cardiovascular disease by balancing blood pressure and managing blood sugar, but aerobic exercise, not resistance training, takes the prize for keeping the body’s thousands of miles of blood vessels more supple. A 2017 study published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows that all-extremity exercise like brisk walking improves arterial flexibility in older individuals; even those with a sedentary history.

Moving the body regularly also lowers stress hormones like cortisol that can ignite damaging vascular inflammation. A West Virginia University study presented at the 2016 Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego showed that aerobic exercise fosters healthy blood vessels in rats exposed to chronic stress.

Combining aerobic exercise with good diet and paying attention

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to triglyceride levels all help to keep us young from the inside-out.

Step It Up

According to a 2015 study by the University of Missouri School of Medicine published in Experimental Physiology, walking just 10 minutes after prolonged sitting can restore blood flow in the legs and improve impaired vascular function.

Results like these are another reason to get up and move. Walking, running, swimming, cycling, jumping rope and playing tennis are all excellent options. “For blood vessel flexibility, any sort of sustained aerobic exercise helps.

Find something you enjoy so that you’ll keep doing it in the

long term,” says Alex Hutchinson, New York Times bestselling author of Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? Fitness Myths, Training Truths, and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise.

The Toronto-based, Outside magazine science columnist underscores that treadmills and walking outside foster equal benefits by increasing the heart rate.

The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise. Dr. Regina Druz, a board-certified cardiologist and medical director of the Integrative Cardiology Center of Long Island, explains, “This translates into 30 minutes a day, five times a week. A specific exercise program may be helpful for those with a medical condition, but for overall vascular health, any physical activity like walking or taking the stairs will do.” Druz also highlights the role of nitric oxide: “One of the most studied mediators of vascular health is [nitric oxide], which makes arteries flexible.”

Research findings published in 2018 in the journal Hypertension spotlight the correlation between the number of daily steps and arterial plasticity through a technique called pulse wave velocity, which measures how fast blood travels from the

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fit body

heart to the feet. The evidence suggests that 1,000 extra steps a day foster significant vascular improvement.

Judy Heller, a walking coach and founder of Wonders of Walking, a fitness program in Portland, Oregon, concurs: “Moving throughout the day, not just once a day, is most important.” Heller is a firm believer in consistency. “My aunt lived to 107 and remained in her three-story house.

Her words to me were, ‘Judy, don’t ever stop walking.’ Small changes yield greater rewards over time. We’re meant to move.”

Superfoods and Supplements

Nitric oxide, responsible for the dilation and contraction of blood vessels, is produced by exercising and helps to protect the smooth interior lining of the arteries from excessive plaque accumulation. Adding nitric oxide-boosting foods to an already healthy diet can give us an extra edge over vascular conditions like stroke and peripheral artery disease. “Beets, arugula, spinach and rhubarb are all good sources of dietary nitrate.

They’re not miracle supplements, but if you make these foods a regular part of your diet, you’ll have a positive effect on your arteries,” says Hutchinson.

Research by Florida State University published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reveals that a one-cup daily serving of blueberries helps to protect the arteries from stiffness. Watermelon, rich in the nonessential amino acid L-citrulline, also packs a nitric oxide punch.

Full-spectrum vitamin E is another good option, especially for addressing peripheral artery disease and reducing serum triglyceride levels that are often seen as secondary to “bad” cholesterol levels, but which low levels are vital to cardiovascular health.

Druz cautions against using supplements as substitutes for healthy nutrition and exercise, and underscores the importance of dialing down stress, “I advise my patients to build stress resiliency, which involves recognizing and practicing stress response. This, along with nutrition and consistent exercise, will lower inflammation and help build stress resiliency.”

Marlaina Donato is an author and composer.

Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

February 2020

15

SACRED VESSELS

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by Julie Peterson

hen people think about heart health, what generally comes to mind is the fist-sized muscle that pumps and oxygenates the body’s lifeblood. However, the heart of the matter is not the pump itself, but the vascular system— the network of veins, arteries and capillaries that distributes blood to every cell in the body, delivering nutrients and eliminating waste.

Each human adult harbors an astonishing 60,000 miles of blood vessels— enough to wrap around the planet twice.

Keeping these hard-working vessels supple and open is the key not only to avoiding disease, but also to ensuring a long and healthy life.

The alternative—arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries—can slowly and silently bring on cardiovascular disease (CVD), which can result in a heart attack, stroke, vision loss and cognitive decline. CVD is the leading cause of death in the U.S., killing one in four Americans,

When a disease is lifestyleinduced, the only thing that can reverse it is a dramatic change in diet and lifestyle.

We’ve seen over and over again that it works. ~Brenda Davis 16

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according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). By 2035, nearly half the population—45 percent—is predicted to have some form of the disease.

“A hundred years ago, we were farming the back 40 with a team of horses, eating what we grew. Kids don’t get out and ride bikes; they’re playing video games and eating crap. There’s very little doubt how we got to this problem,” says John Osborne, M.D., director of cardiology at State of the Heart Cardiology, near Dallas.

Yet, the nation’s number one killer, which can fester for decades without symptoms, is largely preventable and reversible.

Only 15 percent of CVD is related to genetics; the rest is attributed to lifestyle, and the right choices can make all the difference. The key is to adopt heart-healthy habits before the body delivers a potentially fatal warning.

“The initial presentation of heart disease can be an acute catastrophic event that results in death in half the men and two-thirds of the women. That’s not treatable,” warns Osborne.

Know the Risk Factors

The first step toward cardiovascular health is awareness. Important indicators of CVD risk include: 4 High blood pressure (over 140/90) 4 High cholesterol (over 240 mg/dL) 4 High triglycerides (over 200 mg/dL) 4 High blood glucose (over 140 mg/dL) 4 Obesity (BMI over 30) 4 Inflammation (hsCRP test above 2 ml/dL) 4 Physical inactivity (less than 30 minutes a day) 4 Smoking or vaping (any at all) 4 Chronic stress 4 Loneliness

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The Lifeblood of Heart Health

Any of these factors can increase the risk of CVD, but possessing a cluster of the first five comprises a condition called metabolic syndrome, which significantly increases the potential for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes—itself a significant risk factor that can damage blood vessels, as well as the organs they support.

“While diabetes is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States, this figure belies the fact that most people with diabetes die of heart disease, kidney failure and other complications,” says Brenda Davis, RD, of Alberta, Canada, author of Kick Diabetes Essentials: The Diet and Lifestyle Guide.

Metabolic syndrome, like CVD, has few obvious symptoms and is on the rise: Nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. have it, according to the CDC. The one distinct marker for the condition is an accumulation of fat around the waistline, characterized by a measurement of over 35 inches for women and 40 for men.

Take Action to Cut Risks

“When a disease is lifestyle-induced, the only thing that can reverse it is a dramatic change in diet and lifestyle,” says Davis. “We’ve seen over and over again that it works.”

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n Know the Numbers

CVD flies under the radar even though it’s increasingly common at younger ages. The Journal of the American Medical Association released a study in December 2019 stating that about one in four young adults in the U.S. have pre-diabetes, putting them at increased risk for Type 2 diabetes and CVD.

Lisa McDowell, director of clinical nutrition and wellness at St. Joseph’s Mercy Health System, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and team dietitian for the Detroit Red Wings, works with elite athletes of all ages and notes that they more likely know their favorite player’s jersey number than their own health numbers. “Learn what your blood pressure is, know your body mass index, get your cholesterol levels and triglycerides and your [hemoglobin] A1C.

There’s not an excess of blueberries in the American diet; there’s an excess of relatively inexpensive, highly processed junk foods in large containers. ~Lisa McDowell Know these numbers early on and, if there’s a problem, fix it,” she advises.

While simple blood tests help monitor indicators for CVD, more sophisticated tests can be even more revealing. In 2018, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (AHA) jointly issued new guidelines for patients over age 50 to get a computerized tomography (CT) scan to determine their calcium score. The procedure checks for hardening of the arteries and predicts the risk of a 10year future cardiovascular event.

“This identifies people who have preclinical atherosclerosis, regardless of risk factors,” says Osborne. “It also helps people modify behaviors, because they are faced with a diagnosis.”

Yale R. Smith, a Melbourne, Florida, M.D., who specializes in metabolic and functional medicine, utilizes the U.S. Food & Drug Administration-approved protein unstable lesion signature (PULS) blood test. Recommended for patients in their 40s, it measures inflammatory biomarkers for the body’s immune system response to arterial injury and provides a chronological heart age and risk of a CVD event.

“If you can show someone the future, it’s a wake-up call to make lifestyle changes to increase longevity,” Smith says.

n Eat for Heart Health

Perhaps the single most important change that people can make is diet.

“But a lot of people don’t want lifestyle medicine—they’d rather take a statin with their Big Mac,” says McDowell.

Preventing or reversing CVD requires diligence, but it’s largely about eating real, whole food—and mostly plants.

This means avoiding processed foods and consuming less salt, trans fats, saturated fat and cholesterol; and more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

“There’s not an excess of blueberries in the American diet; there’s an excess of relatively inexpensive, highly processed junk foods in large containers,” says McDowell. Overcoming the urge to grab fast and easy foods requires education.

“Everyone needs to learn how to read a food label and avoid foods linked to vascular disease,” she adds.

Vegans have healthier cholesterol levels in their blood compared to vegetarians, which in turn have better levels than meateaters. Study-verified diets that lower CVD indicators also include the Mediterranean diet, as well as two developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet, which also addresses exercise and weight control.

“I don’t believe that one diet fits everybody, but there’s a preponderance of evidence that the more plant compounds you get, the better off you are,” says McDowell.

Some Cardiovascular Boosters

4 Leafy greens flush out excess sodium and magnesium, and reduce inflammation.

4 Berries improve circulation by boosting nitric oxide, which expands blood vessels.

4 Pomegranate juice lowers blood pressure and reduces plaque formation.

4 Walnuts, peanuts and almonds lower LDL, the “bad cholesterol”.

4 Oily fish, chia and flax seeds with omega-3 fatty acids lower triglycerides.

4 Soy with anti-inflammatory isoflavones helps dilate blood vessels. “We could eat tofu, tempeh, miso, edamame, soy beans or even organic soy ‘veggie meats’ in place of red meat,” says Davis.

4 Yogurt, kefir and other fermented probiotic dairy products help improve glycemic control, blood lipids, cholesterol and blood pressure.

4 Supplements can be very helpful: Red yeast rice extract, much like a statin, significantly lowers total cholesterol and LDL. February 2020

17

n Move It

Sitting all day and then briefly exercising doesn’t provide the same benefit as moving periodically throughout the day.

Take more frequent breaks from sitting, get up to move around for a couple of minutes every 30 minutes.

Exercise strengthens the endothelium, the innermost of an artery’s three layers, and produces nitric oxide, which helps

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keep arteries open and healthy. Getting the blood moving lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, and increases oxygen and nutrients to the body.

Exercising outdoors provides additional benefits. Research from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health found that exposure to green spaces helped prevent metabolic syndrome.

n Stress Less, Socialize More

Spending even 20 minutes outdoors in nature can do wonders for high blood pressure and cortisol levels, studies show.

Walking or talking with a friend deepens social engagement, a key factor in lowering CVD risk: “Having the right tribe is crucial,” says McDowell. “If you’re with people who support you and make you laugh, you feel less stress.”

Walking a dog outdoors gets three cardiovascular pluses—exercise, nature and

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sociability, as dogs tend to be tail-wagging ice-breakers. Further, merely stroking a pet lowers blood pressure.

Apps like Headspace and Insight Timer make it easy to do meditation, which studies suggest may reduce overall CVD risk.

n Don’t Smoke

Not starting to smoke or vape at all is ideal for cardiovascular health, but quitting allows the body to begin to heal, reducing the risk of coronary heart disease after one year by 50 percent, reports the AHA; 14 years later, the risk is the same as a non-smoker’s.

“It’s not intuitively easy to make healthy decisions,” says McDowell. “We have to learn how to make good choices.”

Julie Peterson writes from rural Wisconsin.

Connect at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

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4 Coenzyme Q10, a powerful antioxidant, lowers blood pressure and combats the side effects of statins.

4 Omega-3s in fish oil supplements reduce heart risk in healthy people and those already diagnosed with CVD risk.

4 Nicotinamide riboside improves blood pressure and arterial health in those with mild hypertension.

4 Garlic, fresh or in capsules, can lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Standard American Diet (SAD)

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Previous studies have linked processed foods to hypertension and high cholesterol, and a 2019 British Medical Journal study of 105,000 adults reported that a 10 percent increase in the consumption of processed foods corresponded to a 12 percent overall increase in cardiovascular disease.

Inflammation

Assess Personal Risk High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure occurs when the force of blood pushing against the vessel walls is too high, making the heart and vessels work harder. The friction damages the endothelium— the inner lining of veins and arteries—plaque builds up, the vessels narrow and blood pressure increases even more. Contributing factors include being sedentary, overweight and consuming excessive alcohol or salt.

High Cholesterol

A waxy, fat-like substance found in all cells of the body, cholesterol can pile up (mostly as a consequence of poor diet) and stick to arterial walls, creating plaque that stymies blood flow to the heart.

High Triglycerides

The end product of digesting fats in food, triglycerides become fat in the blood that gives the body energy. Numbers climb with consumption of refined carbohydrates, simple sugars and fatty foods, contributing to arteriosclerosis.

Metabolic Syndrome

A cluster of conditions that affect up to a third of Americans, metabolic syndrome

is defined by high blood pressure; high levels of blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides; and excess fat around the waist. It’s closely linked to Type 2 diabetes, another CVD risk factor.

Obesity

Obesity—which afflicts almost 40 percent of American adults—causes chronic inflammation, harms the endothelium and causes poor cholesterol numbers. A 12year study of 17,640 Europeans, published in the European Heart Journal, found that obese people with metabolic risk factors were two-and-a-half times as likely to have heart disease as those of normal weight.

Stress

When stressed by such factors as work overload, family strife or traumatic memories, the body releases adrenaline, which causes acceleration of breathing and heart rate, contraction of vessels and a rise in blood sugar. Chronic stress can cause constricted arteries that lead to arteriosclerosis and inflammation of the endothelium.

Further, stressed people often turn to vascular-destructive activities such as smoking, drinking and binge eating.

Chronic inflammation, caused by such factors as fried and processed foods, smoking, obesity, alcohol and stress, can trigger the immune system to attack healthy tissues, including the endothelium, raising CVD risk. C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammation marker, is measured by the hsCRP blood test. Men with higher CRP levels had three times the risk of heart attack and twice the risk of stroke, Harvard scientists have found.

Physical Inactivity

A lack of regular, ongoing physical activity has been shown to dramatically increase obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol and inflammation. A 2019 British study found that artery functions declined and CVD risk factors worsened in just two weeks when active exercisers reduced their daily steps from 10,000 to 1,000.

Smoking and Vaping

Nicotine, carbon monoxide and chemicals in cigarettes increase blood pressure and heart rate, damage the endothelium and cause blood platelets to clot more, which is why smokers are two to four times more likely to get cardiovascular disease. E-cigarettes and cigars may be worse due to higher doses of nicotine, the AHA warns.

Loneliness

People need people: Harvard researchers examined 23 studies that involved 181,000 adults and found that loneliness, social isolation or both were associated with increased risks of heart attacks (29 percent) and strokes (32 percent).

February 2020

19

GOOD HEARTS START YOUNG

Boosting Kids’ Cardiovascular Health

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by Ronica A. O’Hara

e don’t often think of children as having cardiovascular problems, but evidence is mounting that many youngsters today—because of scant exercise, poor eating habits and excessive screen time—are on track to experiencing serious heart and circulatory problems later in life.

“Instead of taking a wait-and-see approach by treating disease later in adulthood, we should help children maintain the standards of ideal cardiovascular health that most children are born with,” reports Julia Steinberger, M.D., director of pediatric cardiology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, in Minneapolis, and lead author of a 2016 scientific statement on children’s cardiovascular health from the American Heart Association (AHA).

In a March 2019 update, the AHA noted that fewer than 1 percent of children meet all seven criteria, or metrics, for ideal cardiovascular health; half of all children meet merely half the measures, which include physical activity, healthy 20

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eating, not smoking, attaining ideal body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose readings.

Poor metrics in a child are linked to such adverse outcomes as heart attacks, heart failure and stroke in adulthood, advises Elaine Urbina, M.D., director of preventive cardiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, adding that poor metrics in teens are linked to fatty build-up in the neck arteries and arterial stiffness later in life.

But starting in utero, crucial strategies can promote strong cardiovascular systems in kids. Children born to mothers with low vitamin D levels have about a 60 percent higher risk of elevated systolic blood pressure between ages 6 and 18, reports a Boston Medical Center study in the journal Hypertension; vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy may head that off. Other important strategies include:

Get them moving. Children should be physically active at least 60 minutes a day, the AHA recommends, but among

NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com

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kids 6 to 11, only half of the boys and a third of the girls meet that guideline; by ages 16 to 19, merely one in 10 boys and one in 20 girls do. A review of 50 fitness studies in 28 countries involving 25 million children concluded that American kids today are about a minute and a half slower running a mile than their peers 30 years ago.

“Aerobic exercises like running, swimming and cycling use the big muscles of the body and are excellent ways of stressing and strengthening the heart and lungs,” says study author Grant Tomkinson, Ph.D., professor of education, health and behavior studies at the University of North Dakota.

Even simply walking to school in the morning for 10 minutes reduces stress in kids and curbs heart rate and blood pressure increases, a University of Buffalo study found.

Feed them well. About 91 percent of

U.S. children have what is classified as a “poor” diet that’s heavy in simple carbs like desserts and sugary drinks, the AHA reported. It recommends feeding kids a diet heavy in fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains and low in sodium and sugary foods and drinks. A 2016 Centers for Disease

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healthy kids

Instead of taking a waitand-see approach by treating disease later in adulthood, we should help children maintain the standards of ideal cardiovascular health that most children are born with. ~Julia Steinberger Control and Prevention study of 2,142 children found that nine of 10 kids exceeded recommended sodium levels. A Cleveland Clinic study found that obese children eating a low-fat, plant-based vegan diet for four weeks began lowering their risk of heart disease by improving their weight, blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol levels and insulin sensitivity.

Don’t smoke or vape. The risk

of a child developing carotid plaque in adulthood was four times higher if one or both parents smoked without taking care to limit the child’s exposure; when they did take care, the risk was still almost two times higher, according to an Australian study in the journal Circulation. Discouraging a teen from vaping is also critical to future health: New research from the University of Kansas School of Medicine shows that adults that vape are significantly more likely to have a heart attack, coronary artery disease and depression compared with those that don’t vape or use any tobacco products.

Restrict screen time. Australian

6-year-olds that spent the most time in front of TVs, computers and video games had narrower arteries in the back of their eyes—a marker of future cardiovascular risk—reported a study in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular. A study from Canada’s McMaster University found that kids with video game addictions sleep less, which in turn elevates blood pressure, lowers helpful HDL cholesterol and raises triglycerides.

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

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For every $100 spent in locally owned business, $68 returns to the community. source: the350project.net February 2020

21

Pain Relief for Pets Prolotherapy Gives Joints New Life

by Julie Peterson

B

rian Engler, Engler’s veterinarProlotherapy offers an of Drexel Hill, ian tried prolotherapy effective alternative to Pennsylvania, injection treatments surgery in a significant for Tadao’s joint pain was asked to provide hospice care for a senior number of partial ligament and he soon became Akita. Tadao was tears or persistent joint more comfortable and underweight, weak, gradually more active. pain issues. arthritic and had been “By the time we com~Judith M. Shoemaker severely neglected. He pleted the treatments, needed a place to live he was able to get up out his remaining days in comfort. Even and down with ease and started cruising though Tadao was unstable with severely around the kitchen looking for snacks on limited mobility, Engler believed that the old the counter,” says Engler. dog had more than a little life left in him.

Prolotherapy, short for proliferative

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For more info, visit: NaturalAwakenings.com 22

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therapy, isn’t just for dogs. Any animal with a joint can receive the regenerative injection therapy, which relieves pain by strengthening ligaments and tendons supporting the joint. It’s minimally invasive, involving the injection of a sugar solution directly into the affected area. The body’s inflammation response kicks in, resulting in regrowth of new fibers in ligaments and tendons.

Prolotherapy has been around a long time. It was used to treat lame animals around 1350 B.C. Back then, a hot poker was used to induce the inflammation response. In the 1930s, injection of an irritant solution at the site of the injury became the new method, and has since been shown in scientific studies to facilitate the repair and regrowth of connective tissue, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and other joint-stabilizing structures.

Modern prolotherapy has remained basically the same for the last 80 years, although the injected irritant solution is modified according to the veterinarian, the type of animal and the injury. Every vet uses a slightly different prolotherapy “cocktail”, which typically includes 50 percent dextrose and possibly several other ingredients the practitioner finds useful, such as saline, vitamin B12, lidocaine and homeopathic combinations. Some vets also offer platelet-rich plasma or stem cells in the injection mixture.

“Prolotherapy offers an effective alternative to surgery in a significant number of partial ligament tears or persistent joint pain issues,” says Judith M. Shoemaker, DVM, owner of Always Helpful Veterinary Services, in Nottingham, Pennsylvania. “It’s quite inexpensive and the success rate is very good. Many animals respond after just a few treatments.”

Shoemaker typically does prolotherapy treatments in three- to five-week intervals until the joint heals. She also looks to correct the underlying issues of the problem. “Joints don’t get torn up with normal movement,” she says.

Animals may have joint issues from falling, but other causes include overweight, long toenails or chiropractic issues. Prolotherapy stabilizes joints after an injury and achieves pain-free motion, but it’s only successful if the cause of the injury is remedied.

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natural pet

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By the time we completed the treatments, he was able to get up and down with ease and started cruising around the kitchen looking for snacks on the counter.

inspiration inspiration

~Brian Engler “Prolotherapy is a very important tool in integrative veterinary care, but it’s not a panacea, and it’s never a stand-alone treatment,” says Christin Finn, DVM, owner of the Canine Rehabilitation & Integrative Veterinary Center, in Kingston, Washington. “It’s part of a combination of integrative treatments based on what is best for your pet.”

The right balance of treatments to help an animal feel comfortable could include laser therapy, osteopathic manipulation, acupuncture, physical therapy, custom braces, prolotherapy or rest.

Using prolotherapy in conjunction with other posture-correcting and integrative therapies is a win for pets and their owners. Surgery is fraught with complications and expensive. When prolotherapy is used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, animals can recover from injuries that may have been debilitating or even fatal.

Ivey Sumrell’s Irish sport horse recovered from a severe injury. At 8 years old, Johnny was bitten on the neck by a stallion. “His neck became unstable and he had severe problems walking,” says Sumrell, of Tryon, North Carolina.

“Ultrasound-guided prolotherapy was done three times to all of his neck joints.”

Johnny was able to be ridden and lived to be 22.

And Tadao, the dog that was expected to die in hospice care a year ago, is enjoying life. He’s now well-nourished and loved, and painlessly goes for walks and plays at the park. “Tadao is the poster child for what prolotherapy can do,” says Engler.

Julie Peterson writes about health and environmental issues. Reach her at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.

CHOOSING LOVE How to Cope With Fearful Times

I

by Scarlett Lewis

t’s hard to make sense of some of the troubling things we see on TV and read about in the news. Our kids ask us, “Why are these things happening?” It’s an important question and it all comes down to two competing feelings: fear versus love.

When we see disturbing images such as school shootings or political opponents attacking one another, it cultivates anxiety, which is epidemic in our society.

When left untreated, it can lead to negative outcomes including substance abuse, depression, suicide and violence. Often, we look to those in perceived power to solve these issues. Perhaps what we haven’t considered is that these are not political issues; rather, they are issues of the heart and only we can solve them.

So we continue to see pain and suffering played out before us. We feel powerless and this feeds our unease. Our personal safety is a priority and external safety measures sometimes fail. If we don’t feel safe, nothing else matters. There is a solution.

The opposite of anxiety and fear is love.

When we examine the trajectory of most societal ills, there is often an arc of loneliness, depression, isolation and often abuse.

From a young age, we can learn to choose love as a thoughtful response to any situation. When we do this, we take back our personal power. We become part of the solution to the issues we see, and science tells us that others will do the same.

There is a formula for choosing love. It starts with courage. My son Jesse was a 6-year-old boy who stood up to the shooter that came into his first-grade classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School and saved nine of his classmates’ lives before losing his own. We all have that courage within us: the courage to be kind, to speak our truth, to do the right thing.

We can only have one thought at a time, so we can shift our thinking by replacing a negative thought with a grateful one. Forgiving helps us to take back our personal power and is a gift we give ourselves. It is the foundation of healthy relationships that lead to greater happiness and connection in our lives. Compassion in action helps us step outside our own busyness, distraction and even pain to help others.

When we do this, we’re choosing love and helping to create a safer, more peaceful and loving world. When we model the practice of these character values as a thoughtful response for our children, they grow up to do the same.

Scarlett Lewis is the founder of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure every child has access to social and emotional education and support. Connect with her at Info@JesseLewisChooseLove.org.

February 2020

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Linda Carroll on Skills That Make Love Last

by Kajsa Nickels

P

sychotherapist Linda Carroll was drawn into the dynamics of couples’ counseling three decades ago when she saw how in her own marriage, petty disagreements could turn into full-blown arguments with the potential for deep wounds. She and her husband Tim worked on their issues by attending workshops across the country, including Imago therapy and PAIRS (Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills), which were so effective that she developed a curriculum called Love Skills by combining those tools, her experience as a married person and counselor, personal training from consciousness pioneers and resources from ancient mythology and spiritual/religious traditions.

She has co-taught the course with her husband for more than 25 years. Her first book, Love Cycles: The Five Essential Stages of Everlasting Love, has been translated into several languages and details stages in romantic relationships. Her new book, Love Skills: The Key to Unlocking Lasting, Wholehearted Love, is a guide to developing a relationship toolkit.

What is the Love Cycles model?

It is based on the fact that feelings of love are seasonal. Like the seasons of the year, they are a natural progression of a relationship. If you understand the seasons, you 24

Pittsburgh, PA

can pass through them.

All relationships are teachers. If we allow them to teach us, we become free to love deeper and better.

What is the most difficult Love Cycles stage, and why?

Each stage has its own unique challenges.

For example, the first stage, the Merge, has a magic to it due to the chemical cocktail that floods your body when in the presence of your significant other. But this stage can be treacherous in that you can mistake your feelings for evidence that this is the “right” person for you. In the Power Struggle stage, feelings will have worn off and power struggles will start to show up. The third stage is Disillusionment.

Differences between both of you really start to show up at this time. The fourth stage is the Decision stage. At this point, many couples find themselves wanting out. The key to making it through this stage is to remember that this, too, shall pass and to commit to working it out. It’s important to realize that life is not about getting an A+ at all times. Sometimes, we need to accept that a C- is okay; and if you do need to leave a relationship, it is possible to do it in a wholehearted way at best—at the least, to minimize damage.

The fifth stage I call Wholehearted Love, a stage reached only through mindfulness and unconditional love. Because love has changing seasons, a couple will not stop at

NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com

the fifth stage forever, but getting back to this state will become easier and easier as time goes on.

What was your impetus for writing Love Skills?

I have been teaching the program for 25 years and drew from my almost 40 years as a couples therapist, many trainings all over the country and own life experiences in my relationship with my husband to compile the program. Most couples lack the skills to manage the troubles of life. There is a skill to every aspect of a relationship, especially in communication: listening, speaking, knowing when to speak and when to be silent.

Who is most likely to benefit?

The relationship you have with yourself is a core part of the Love Cycles model. If you do not have a good relationship with yourself, you cannot have a solid and meaningful relationship with another person. This is a couples’ book, although it can also be gone through by a single person if the partner is not interested in it. What I tell people is that you can only work on your part. If the other person doesn’t want to buy in or isn’t wholeheartedly on board—or at least partially willing—there is nothing that you can do about it. You need to be able to be okay and confident in yourself. You cannot change another person, but you can always change yourself.

What is one of the most important pieces of advice you have for couples?

I hope that couples come to realize that feelings of love are like clouds, always changing. A good relationship requires a skill set, which we practice whatever the feelings are. We are not born knowing how to love skillfully, but this skill set can be learned by anyone and will make you able to listen better and appreciate each other more.

Kajsa Nickels is a freelance author who resides in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Connect at FidelEterna45@gmail.com.

photo by Le Studio NYC

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Natural Awakenings is a franchise family of 70 healthy living magazines, celebrating 26 years of publishing! This rewarding home-based franchise opportunity provides training and ongoing support, following an established and proven business model.

To learn more information and current franchise availability, visit or call:

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February 2020

25

calendar of events

Wellness, 2000 Cooms Farm, Ste 103, Morgantown, WV. Register: 304-685-6009.

NOTE: All calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Review submissions guidelines at NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com or email Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com for more information.

Reiki I Class – 10am-6pm. Hosted by Usui/ HolyFire. In this full-day class learn about the origin and history of reiki and the hand positions for treating oneself and others. 190-page class manual included. Taught by Nancy Steadle using manuals and information from the International Center for Reiki Training. $205. 1717 Penn Ave, Ste 4004. Preregistration required: 412-680-0483 or nsteadle@gmail.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Salted Restorative with Laura – Noon-12:45pm.

Relax in the salt cave while moving through restorative poses and enjoying all of the benefits of the Himalayan salt cave. Practice presence and mindfulness. $25. Sterling Yoga, 393 Vanadium Rd, Ste 201, Pittsburgh. 412-260-0533. Register at SterlingYoga.com.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Sacred Sound Immersion and Meditation – 3-4:30pm. Hosted by Sacred Centered You and Natural Solutions for Health and Wellness. Sound waves have a range of therapeutic effects on the mind and body. Relax in a deep meditative state while tones of instruments, crystal bowls, and chimes are played. $20/person. 434 Main St, Irwin.

724-515-7518. Register/payment: SacredCenteredYou.com.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3 Childbirth Class III – Breastfeeding Basics – 6-8pm. Hosted by Empowered Holistic Birth Doulas. Learn the history of breastfeeding and formula, breastfeeding basics, handling challenges, feeding options and tools and troubleshooting. $25/couple.

1295 Grand Blvd, Monessen. 203-725-6464. Registration required: ehBirth@gmail.com.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 Empath Support Group – 6-7:30pm. Open your heart to others. Fully embrace your sensitivities and manage the challenges of being an empathetic person. Learn strategies to thrive as an empath and to stop absorbing stress. This group is a place to learn or share how you survive in today’s world or learn how to support a friend, loved one or child who has an empathic gift. Free. Well Oiled, 1414 Potomac Ave, Pittsburgh. 412-531-6457. WellOiledMom@ yahoo.com.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5 Seasonal Cooking – Noon-3pm. With Arati Warty.

Ayurveda is a natural healing system from India that is more than 5000 years old. It teaches us that our dosha is balanced by specific diets and tastes for each season. Learn how to combine proper spices with legumes, lentils, rice and fresh vegetables.

Make cooking a fun and essential activity of your life! Food is medicine, medicine is not a food. $40 includes lunch. 300 Beverly Rd, Pittsburgh. 412344-7434. Preregister: HipYoga.org.

dysfunction, along with specific muscles to engage when performing simple tasks. Learn exercises to strengthen weak muscles, stretch tight muscles, promote optimal postural alignment, decrease pain and prevent chronic pain. Free. East End Food Co-op. 7516 Meade St, Pittsburgh. 412-242-3598.

Register: Eventbrite.

Go with Your Gut – Herbs for Gut Health – 6:308pm. A healthy gut contributes to a strong immune system, heart health, brain health, improved mood, healthy sleep, effective digestion, and may help prevent some cancers and autoimmune diseases. Life stress, unhealthy sleep and eating habits, high-sugar foods, and pharmaceutical medication have a huge impact on whole-body health. Join for an informative discussion on gut health. $5. Sacred Centered You, 304 Third St, California, PA. 412-258-0766.

SacredCenteredYou.com.

Don’t Pull My Leg! A Hamstring Series with Frank – 7-8pm. Relieve lower back, hip, and knee pain by creating freedom and strength in the hamstring. Discuss the function and structure of the hamstring, various exercises and stretches to help alleviate pain caused by the hamstring complex.

Modifications available for mobility issues. $18.

Sterling Yoga, 393 Vanadium Rd, Ste 201, Pittsburgh. 412-260-0533.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Bhagavad Gita Workshop Series – 7-8:30pm.

Also Feb 13 & 20. With Susan Frenchik, 500 RYT. This ancient dialogue between Lord Krishna and his devoted student Arjuna offers timeless questions and answers on how to live with ease in a world of challenge and change. Feb 6: explore the paths of karma yoga and the path of selfless actions; Feb 13: the path of trustful devotion and Jnana yoga; Feb 20: the path of knowledge. $25/session, $60/3 sessions. 300 Beverly Rd, Pittsburgh. 412-344-7434.

Registration: HipYoga.org.

The Sound Series – 8pm. An ongoing concert series featuring internationally touring contemporary artists and bands. Featuring singer, songwriter, cellist and multi-instrumentalist Leyla McCalla. $20/ non-members, $15/members. Hosted by The Warhol Museum at the Carnegie Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh. Sales.CarnegieMuseums.org.

Free Holistic Clinic – 5-8pm. Hosted by Three Rivers Free Clinic for the People, and Union Project.

A free walk-in, holistic wellness clinic serving the greater Pittsburgh area. Services include reiki, meditation, holistic nurse coaching, herbal consultations, doula, midwifery, qigong, acupuncture and more.

Sign up for services at the clinic. 801 N Negley Ave. 412-363-4550.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Core Strength and Posture for Health – 6:307:30pm. Physical Therapist Jenna Daly, of Pivot’s Point Breeze office, offers a presentation on the correlation of postural alignment with pain and joint

Mindfulness and Meditation – 10am-4pm. With Joni. Learn and practice seven core techniques of mindfulness and meditation. Existing yoga teachers receive Yoga Alliance CEUs. $179. University of

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NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com

Indian Spices and Pickles – Noon-3pm. Hands-on Indian spice blending and pickle making workshop.

Local Chef Jayashree Lyengar, of Popping Mustard Seeds, will teach participants about spices in traditional Indian cooking. Take home your own spice blends and lemon and tomato pickles. $65/person.

Hosted by CRAFT at Chatham University, 6035 Ridge Rd, Gibsonia. 412-365-1118.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Reiki II Class – Noon-6pm. In this full-day class receive the attunement for Usui/HolyFire Reiki II. Learn the Reiki II symbols and how to use them.

Learn Japanese reiki techniques and reiki meditation, intuition development, clearing your energy field. Taught by Nancy Steadle using manuals and information provided by the International Center for Reiki Training. Prerequisite: Reiki I. $205. Usui/ HolyFire, 1717 Penn Ave, Ste 4004, Pittsburgh.

Preregistration required: 412-680-0483. nsteadle@ gmail.com.

Sacred Centered Drum Circle – 1-2pm. Join together to radiate, meditate and congregate for this new tradition of drumming during the full moon. $5. Hosted by Sacred Centered You, 304 Third St, California, PA. 412-258-0766.

Restorative and Hot Stones with Kristen K – 2:30-4pm. Hosted by Sterling Yoga and Kristen Kolenda Yoga. Soothe and nurture your body and mind with a restorative yoga class incorporating hot stones placed on the body while relaxing in supported yoga postures. Wear layers. $30. 393 Vanadium Rd, Ste 201. 412-260-0533. Register: SterlingYoga.com.

Herb ‘N’ Art: A Tu b’Shevat Community Celebration – 5-8pm. Hosted by Rodef Shalom Congregation, Jewish Veg, Tree Pittsburgh, Biblical Botanical Garden of Rodef Shalom, Pittsburgh Vegan Society. Mini expo of environmental and food justice groups in the Pittsburgh area, celebrating the Jewish holiday Tu b’Shevat, “The Birthday of Trees.” Enjoy food, crafts, ritual and a panel discussion. Free. Donations appreciated. Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 5th Ave, Pittsburgh.

412-621-6566. Info@RodefShalom.org.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 Recipe Swap: Chocolate Edition – 7-8:30pm.

Share food with friends! Bring a prepared dish for everyone to try, along with the recipe they can take home. This potluck-style event is a great opportunity to meet new people, eat yummy food, and share your joy of cooking with others. No matter who you are, or where you’re from, we all have something to bring to the table. To reduce waste, bring your own plate and utensils and a container to take leftovers home. Drinks provided. Indicate food allergies or dietary restrictions prior to the event. Free. East End Food Co-op, 7516 Meade St, Pittsburgh. 412-2423598. Register: Eventbrite.

with Erica. Chair-based practice to increase resilience, stability, and balance. Class includes a combination of seated and standing yoga poses along with breath awareness and mindful practice. $25. The Yoga garden, 39 W Main St, Uniontown. 724-9702273. Preregister: Clients.MindBodyOnline.com.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 Don’t Pull My Leg! A Hamstring Series with Frank – 7-8pm. See February 5 listing. $18. Sterling Yoga, 393 Vanadium Rd, Ste 201, Pittsburgh.

412-260-0533.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 Be Your Own Valentine! A Workshop on SelfLove – 9am-noon. Hosted by Hastie and The Ahfis – Creative Coworking. Love yourself a little more while building confidence and self-esteem. Regardless of your relationship status, this event is for you if: you want to feel better; you stand in your own way; you need a boost; you are a pleaser; you put yourself last; you are on a path of self-growth and personal development. There will be cold water, hot coffee, yummy chocolate, and prizes! $30. 222 Blue Spruce Shoppes, Murrysville. Info: 724-575-7551.

Tickets: Eventbrite.

Make-It-Now: Valentines at Pittsburg Glass Center – 4:30-9:30pm. Hosted by Pittsburgh Glass Center, a nonprofit, public access school, gallery and state-of-the-art glass studio dedicated to teaching, creating and promoting glass art. 15-minute experience for all ages to create a stunning glass flower; craft a personalized glass love letter; or make a heart-shaped pendant for someone you love. $30$40. Preregister or walk-in! Groups of 5 or more: 412-365-2145 ext 201. 5472 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh.

Tickets: PittsburghGlassCenter.org.

Partner Salted Restorative with Sterling – 6-6:45pm. Looking for something new and exciting this Valentine’s Day? Have you heard of or tried a Himalayan Salt Cave? Join us for a creative date night spending time sharing this loving, relaxing, restorative practice as Sterling leads you through guided meditation. $60/couple, $35/person. Sterling Yoga, 393 Vanadium Rd, Ste 201, Pittsburgh. 412260-0533. Register: SterlingYoga.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15 Together We Breathe – 5:30-7:30pm. An evening of physical connection and breath through a creative flow and restorative partner yoga workshop. Bring a partner or friend and move deeply through specific poses while feeling the power of support and assist. Hot tea and light bites after class. $25/person.

One Point One Yoga, 4929 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh.

OnePointOneYoga.com. 412-256-8072. Clients.

MindBodyOnline.com.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16 Yoga for Men – Noon-2pm. Combine strength with increased flexibility with the benefit of decreasing risk of injury in other activities and sports. Incorporate poses that address issues specifically for the male body. Reflect on how yoga improves overall masculine wellness of body, mind and soul. $20.

One Point One Yoga, 4929 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh.

412-256-8072. Clients.MindBodyOnline.com.

OnePointOneYoga.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19 Don’t Pull My Leg! A Hamstring Series with Frank – 7-8pm. See February 5 listing. $18. Sterling Yoga, 393 Vanadium Rd, Ste 201, Pittsburgh.

412-260-0533.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20 The Sound Series: Eko Chamber Collective – 8pm. Featuring an eclectic roster of Pittsburgh-

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 based musicians including Harman Pearl, aka Soy Sos, Brittany Trotter, Anqwenique Kinsel, Sadie Powers, Paul Thompson, and Brian Riordan. A live electro-acoustic ensemble utilizing spatialized performance techniques. Site-specific performance designed to reverberate acoustically using architectural spaces. Standing room only. $12/nonmembers, $8/members. The Warhol Entrance Space, 117 Sandusky St, Pittsburgh. 412-237-8354. Access@ Warhol.org. Sales.CarnegieMuseums.org.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Iridology Certification – Feb 21-22. 1pm, Fri; 11am, Sat. With certified Iridologist Lillian Ronzio, ND. Iridology, the study of the iris, is a safe, noninvasive diagnostic technique used to make healthrelated diagnoses bases on the condition of the irid.

Helps identify inherited emotional patterns as well as identify challenges and gifts available to us.

Register and pay online at ronzioschool.com. $400.

12 CE credits. Test date TBA. Dr. Lillian Ronzio School of Holistic Health, 275 Pleasant Valley Rd, Connellsville. 724-603-2444.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22 Heart Below the Horizon: Exploring Essence and Physical Realm – 1-3pm. Hosted by Sacred Centered You. Part 1 of a 3-part workshop on The Three Treasures: balancing lower body through qigong and chakra medicine using essential oils, supplements, crystals and activities. The heart below the horizon, or the lower dantian (jing/essence), is the first of the Three Treasures. Two inches below the navel, it is the source of energy which builds the physical body and allows development and use of qi (chi or ki). $40. Sacred Centered You, 304 Third St, California, PA. 412-258-0766. SacredCenteredYou.com.

Indian Pickles: A Discussion and Hands-on Cooking – 1-3pm. Local chef, Jayashree (Jay) Iyengar of Popping Mustard Seeds, will introduce various spices used in traditional Indian cooking.

Jay will also lead the group in making their own Indian style lemon and tomato pickles, utilizing southern Indian spices and flavors. Each participant will leave with jars of their own homemade pickles. $15/members $20/non-members. East End Food Co-op, 7516 Meade St, Pittsburgh. 412-242-3598.

Register: Eventbrite.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23 Yoga with Chair – Noon-1:30pm. Workshop designed for both teacher and student. Learn to incorporate a chair into your studio classes. Counts towards 1.5 hours CEUs for One Point One Yoga’s 300-hour Advanced Teacher Training. $25. One Point One Yoga, 4929 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh. 412256-8072. Clients.MindBodyOnline.com. OnePointOneYoga.com.

Don’t Pull My Leg! A Hamstring Series with Frank – 7-8pm. See February 5 listing. $18. Sterling Yoga, 393 Vanadium Rd, Ste 201, Pittsburgh.

412-260-0533.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27 Make and Take: Avocado and Scallion Chickpea Salad – Noon-1pm. In this monthly cooking class, learn how to prepare a budget friendly meal of $5 or less, get a taste of what you’re creating, and leave with everything you need to complete this dish at home. Bring along a reusable container for easy, safe-transport home. Indicate food allergies and/or dietary restrictions prior to the event. $5. East End Food Co-op, 7516 Meade St, Pittsburgh. 412-2423598. Register: Eventbrite.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Unlock Energy and Explore Chakras for FUN (Free U Now) – 6-7:45pm. Thru May. Hosted by She’s My Health Coach and Satya Yoga. Unlock your body’s energy centers in this Yoga Soul Playshop five-part series. Be guided through all major layers and energy-spiritual centers/chakras. Learn the basic functions of each chakra, take a selfassessment questionnaire, relax with guided meditation, learn chakra specific yoga poses, learn about healing foods for each chakra and your soul. $30/ class or $125/series. 105 W 4th St, Greensburg. 724858-9413. Preregister. SatayYogaGreensburg.com.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29 East End Food Co-op Member Mixer – 1-3pm.

Learn about the East End Food Co-op while sampling tasty snacks and connecting with new friends!

All are welcome. Find out what makes co-ops different, the history of the EEFC, and how we support local food and sustainability. Win cool prizes and take a tour of the store after the mixer. Free. East End Food Co-op, 7516 Meade St, Pittsburgh. 412242-3598. Register: Eventbrite.

Sacred Sound Meditation – 7-8:30pm. Join for a gentle, yet powerful meditative experience. Relax deeply while the tones of the gong and crystal bowls are played in concert for you. $20. Hosted

by Sacred Centered You, 304 Third St, California, PA. 412-258-0766.

MARCH

PLANT-BASED NUTRITION ISSUE

Coming Next Month

CBD

plus: Thriving on a Plant-Based Diet

Chair Yoga for Inner and Outer Well-Being – 6-6:45pm. Hosted by The Yoga Garden and Yoga

February 2020

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ongoing events NOTE: All calendar events must be received by the 10th of the month and adhere to our guidelines. Review submissions guidelines at NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com or email Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com for more information.

sunday Sunday Spiritual Experience – 10:30-11:30am.

Hosted by Center for Spiritual Living Greater Pittsburgh. Joyful music, guided meditation, and spiritual living message in a loving, supportive atmosphere. 101 W Main St, Carnegie. 412-2948275. CSLGreaterPitt@gmail.com.

Cooking Class by Thai Me Up – Thru Apr. 1-2:30pm & 3-4:30pm. Learn new skills in making home-style Thai foods with Chef Piyo and Chef Wasana. February: gluten-free noodles, Fresh Roll, and Pad Thai. March: introduction to Thai herbs and spices, Karee Curry, and Satay. April: Thai vegetarian/vegan foods and tofu. $40/person. 118 S 23rd St, Pittsburgh. Register: Thai Me Up or 412-488-8893.

Metaphysical Monthly Meet and Greet Potluck – 4-6pm. A monthly casual, friendly and welcoming opportunity to surround yourself with like-minded friends. The shop is closed and that is when the fun begins. Bring something to eat or drink. Free.

Well Oiled, 1414 Potomac Ave. 412-531-6457.

WellOiledMom@yahoo.com.

monday All Levels Yoga – 6:30-7:30pm. Breathe, pause and make space during this energizing yoga session aimed to start your week off well. Weekly rotation of YogaMotif teachers. Steep your practice in the movement and meditation of raja yoga. $12. YogaMotif, 124 S Highland Ave. Tickets: YogaMotif.com.

tuesday Morning Slow Flow – 9-10am. Join Faith for this lovely morning yoga session filled with slow intentional movement, meditation and journaling.

All levels. Youghiogheny Holistic Living, 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville. 724-707-4338. RSVP: SquareUp. com/store/youghiogheny-holistic-living.

Let’s Get Cooking! – 3:30-4:30pm. Hosted by ConnectedHealth, LLC. Join each week for a fun, free, interactive cooking demonstration. Dietitian Lauri Lang crafts healthy and delicious recipes with a holistic philosophy and personalized custom focus. 12620 Perry Hwy, Wexford. 724-933-4300.

Volunteer and Potluck Night – 5:30-7pm. Hosted by Grow Pittsburgh. Come lend a hand and bring a dish to share at Braddock Farms for an open-to-all weekly volunteer night and potluck. Braddock Family Farms, 1000 Braddock Ave, Braddock. 412-362-4769.

Flenniken Robotics and Engineering Club – 5:307:30pm. 4th Tue. Open to ages 10-16. Learn the fundamentals of EV3 Robot construction and basic engineering skills. Light snack provided. Free club.

Flenniken Public Library, 102 E George St, Carmichaels. Register: 724-966-6263.

Chakra Activation Yoga Class – 7-8:30pm.

Hosted by Chakra Yoga Healing. A unique fusion of classic ‘static’ hatha asanas and rhythmic “dynamic” kundalini kriyas, chakra activation yoga explores the physical, metaphysical, emotional, psychological, energetic, and vibrational elements

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of each of the seven major chakra-energy centers. $10. Mookshi Healing Arts Center, 702 S Trenton Ave. 412-407-7829. Wellness@Mookshi.com.

wednesday Wellness Wednesday – East End Coop – 8-9am.

1st Wed. Receive 10% off regularly-priced vitamins, supplements, essential oils, and health and beauty products. Free samples and free wellness class.

412-242-3598. EastEndFood.coop Co-op Volunteer Opportunity – 4:30-6:30pm.

Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh, 7013 Monticello St. Info: 413-639-8380 or Taylor.

Celeste@gmail.com.

Gathering Within the Seasons – 6-7pm. 2nd Wed. Hosted by Youghiogheny Holistic Living. Join Emily to learn and share within the ever-changing seasons. Improve your life by tuning in to the natural cycles, through herbs, foods, and daily self-nourishment. $8. 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville.

724-707-4338. yhlRiverWellness@gmail.com.

Women of Color (WOC) Yoga – 6:30-7:30pm.

Hosted by YOGAMOTIF. WOC Yoga is a safe space for self-identified women, femmes and girls of color. Children welcome. Take up space during this joy-filled yoga practice centered in breath, movement and meditation. Surround yourself with a healing spirit to reenergize your week. $12. 124 S Highland Ave. Tickets: YogaMotif.com.

thursday Monthly Volunteer Opportunity – 6-7:30pm. 3rd Thur. Come lend a hand and bring a dish to share for an open-to-all monthly volunteer night and potluck!

Shiloh Farm, 7211 Thomas Blvd. 412-362-4769.

Belly Dance: Magical Motion – 7-8pm. With Dréa Kremposky. Low-impact, natural, body mechanics.

Strengthen and tone your core. All ages and abilities welcome. Dress comfortably for movement. $10/ class or $35/four sessions. The Phoenix Arts Center, 13 Pittsburgh St, Uniontown. RSVP: 724-984-3926.

DremariHolisticWellness.net.

Evening Yoga in the Garden – 7-8pm. Join Jessy Coffman and Heidi Sherwin for an all-levels vinyasa flow class. Breathing techniques, relaxation, strength and relaxation techniques. All ages. Bring yoga mat. $12/members, $15/non-members. West Virginia Botanic Gardens, 1061 Tyrone Rd, Morgantown, WV. Tickets: Forms.DonorSnap.com.

Info@wvbg.org. 304-322-2093.

friday Morning Yoga in the Garden – 9-10am. Join yoga instructor Heidi Sherwin to connect with nature. All skill levels and ages are welcome. Bring a yoga mat, water, sunscreen, sunglasses and a small towel. $15/class, $50/ series for members, $65/nonmembers. West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Rd, Morgantown, WV. 304-322-2093. Register: wvbg.org/programs/events/.

Good Fridays at the Andy Warhol Museum – 5-10pm. For a more social experience the museum

NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com

is open until 10pm Fridays with half-price museum admission and a cash bar. 117 Sandusky St. 412-237-8300. Information@Warhol.org. Tickets: Warhol.org.

saturday Farmers’ Market Cooperative of East Liberty – 5am-noon. Permanent, year-round. The oldest continuously operating market in western PA, since 1941. Owned by a group of farmers plus vendors selling bedding plants, produce, baked goods etc.

344 N Sheridan Ave. 412-661-4414.

Morgantown Indoor Farmers’ Market – 8:30amnoon. Feb 1, 15, 29; Mar 14, 28; Apr 11, 25. Featuring most of the same vendors as the summer market.

SNAP matching program - use SNAP dollars to shop for local food, receive matching tokens to the amount you are spending. Also accept cash, credit, debit, and Apple Pay. See info booth for details. Wesley United Methodist Church, 503 N High St, Morgantown, WV. Co-op Volunteer Opportunity – 9:30-11:30am.

Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh, 7013 Monticello St. Info: 413-639-8380 or Taylor.Celeste@gmail.com.

Bloomfield Saturday Winter Market – Thur Mar. 11am-2pm. 1st & 3rd Sat. Hosted by Bloomfield Saturday Market and Bloomfield Development Corporation. 5050 Liberty Ave. 412-681-8800.

Market@Bloomfieldpgh.org.

Winter Indoor Farmers Market – Thru Apr. 11am-3pm. 1st Sat. Hosted by The Marketplace at Emerald Valley & Emerald Valley Artisans. 145 S Main St, Washington, PA. SOKO Community Market – 11am-3pm. 3rd Sat. Sponsored by the Hill District Community Development Corp. The Swahili word for market is Soko.

Find locally grown fresh produce, organic products, local small business vendors and local artists. Vendors wanted. 412-765-1820. HillDistrict.org/SOKOmarket.

Winter Indoor Farmers Market – Thru Apr. 11am-3pm. 1st Sat. Hosted by The Marketplace at Emerald Valley and Emerald Valley Artisans. Get to know your local farmers and producers. 145 S Main St, Washington, PA. 855-674-6826. Cows@ EmeraldValleyArtisans.com.

Breathe Easy Salted Meditation – 11:15am-noon.

3rd Sat. Breathe a sigh of relief in the Crystalline Cave through guided meditation with Kelly, of Pittsburgh Photon Studio. $25. Sterling Yoga, 393 Vanadium Rd, Ste 201. 412-260-0533. Tickets: SterlingYoga.com.

Pittsburgh Opera – Free Brownbag Concert – Noon. Feb 8, Mar 7, Apr 4. Doors open at 11:30am.

You bring the snacks; they bring the entertainment at Pittsburgh Opera HQ. Pittsburghers and visitors of all ages are invited to enjoy free, intimate noontime concerts. Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artists perform some of Opera’s most popular arias, as well as a mix of Broadway, musical theater, and other surprises.

2425 Liberty Ave. 412-281-0912.

Saturday Self-Care PEMF – 2-5pm. Hosted by Well Oiled and The Wave PEMF, LLC. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) sessions are a safe, nonsurgical way to manage pain and speed healing without drugs or side effects for humans, dogs, small animals, and horses. Used to treat inflammation, arthritis, wounds, and some types of pain and discomfort. 25-minute sessions. $65/session, $150/three sessions. Facility is handicap friendly, willing to work with reactive dogs.

Well Oiled, 1414 Potomac Ave. Appt: 724-318-2882.

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

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES

305 Jefferson Ave, Moundsville, WV 304-506-3585 Dr.Carol@Remedies.com.co AlternativeRemediesOnline.com Dr. Carol offers a personalized holistic approach to your health concerns through nutrition, supplements, exercise, cellular spa treatments, homeopathy and self-help classes. Twenty years of experience in naturally supporting the body, her specialties are digestive health, women and children, and gluten-free living. Health memberships and video conferencing available.

AROMATHERAPY WELL OILED

Melissa Robb, BSW, JD, CA, RPII Certified Aromatherapist, Reiki II Practitioner 1414 Potomac Ave, Dormont 412-531-6457 • GetWellOiled.com Be your own best wellness advocate. Melissa can help you learn about essential oils, answer questions about CBD or help you along your spiritual path. Holistic We l l n e s s S h o p p r o v i d i n g accessible, affordable, and safe products plus workshops for optimal health and wellness: mind-body-spirit. High-quality aromatherapy oils and accessories, CBD and spiritual workshops. See calendar for classes.

BIOLOGIC DENTISTRY JANET LAZARUS – BIOLOGIC DENTIST Dr Janet Lazarus, DMD, NMD Mail: 4313 Walnut St, Ste 178 Office: Olympia Shopping Ctr Arcade, McKeesport • 412-754-2020 Dr.Lazlo@hotmail.com

D r. L a z a r u s p r a c t i c e s compassionate biologic dentistry by looking at the whole body to offer preventative care and health maintenance. She offers compatibility testing on dental material, safe mercury removal, extraction and a host of other treatments including ozone therapy. She has been practicing for 28 years.

See ad, page 5.

CHIROPRACTIC APPALACHIA CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS, PC

Travis D Horne, DC • Gi Ming ‘‘Lili’’ Chan, ND 20120 Route 19, Ste 202, Cranberry Twp, PA 724-553-5312 AppalachiaChiropractic.com Best of natural medicine – combining both chiropractic and naturopathic care. We provide integrative and individualized care to the community where patients feel heard and truly cared for. We offer manipulation, sports medicine, nutrition, herbal, homeopathy and hydrotherapy. See ad, page 15.

PANTHER FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE AND CHIROPRACTIC

Dr Danielle Marra, DC Murrysville • Greensburg 724-387-1014 • PittsburghHealthPro.com Dr. Danielle Marra has nearly 20 years’ experience helping patients regain their health through conservative and holistic approaches utilizing functional medicine, chiropractic, diet modifications, and nutritional support. The practice provides advanced lab testing, allergy relief, spinal decompression, CDL physicals, massage therapy, thermography and more. Their philosophy is treating the root of your symptoms, naturally. See ad, page 4.

Track your health from the comfort of your own home AT HOME TESTING, DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOU.

Convenient, confidential and accurate health testing for women and men with online results in a matter of days. Catered with you in mind, our wellness tests include fertility & hormone, thyroid, cancer screening, general wellness, sexual health and more.

20% OFF EVERYTHING Use Code NASSWPA20 Visit LetsGetChecked.com today.

PITTSBURGH UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC

David Radziercz, DC, Co-Director 8110 Ohio River Blvd, Pittsburgh 412-766-0321 Info@PittsburghUpperCervical.com PittsburghUpperCervical.com Upper cervical chiropractic focuses on restoring balance and function to the spine and nervous system to bring about positive health changes. We help people just like you get out of pain and get back to actually living. Ask about our new patient starter package.

It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind, that determines which way we will go. ~Jim Rohn February 2020

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COACHING POINT A COACHING AND CONSULTING Kieran M. Diorio 226 Donohoe Rd, Ste 201, Greensburg 724-331-9263 PointACoachingAndConsulting.com

Assisting high-performers to accelerate happiness without sacrificing business success; gain the clarity you need to truly align your efforts with your results. You deserve balance in your success!

See ad, page 21.

ENERGY HEALING TURNING POINT ENERGY, LLC

371 Bethel Church Rd, Ligonier, PA 724-493-5764 TuringPointEnergy.org Expect a miracle. 85% success rate. For body pain, mind pain, heart and soul pain. Pain lifted, heart lifted, spirit lifted. Reset.

FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE MEDICINE GENTILE FAMILY DIRECT PRIMARY CARE Natalie Gentile, MD 5655 Bryant St, Pittsburgh GentileFamilyDPC@gmail.com GentileFamilyDPC.com

Affordable, high-quality, evidencebased direct primary care for patients of all ages, regardless of insurance status. Become a member for a low monthly fee and get unlimited office visits, quality healthcare, wholesale prices on prescription medication and at-cost labs. They support a plant-based lifestyle and specialize in intensive therapeutic lifestyle counseling.

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE PANTHER FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE AND CHIROPRACTIC

Dr. Danielle Mara, DC Murrysville • Greensburg 724-387-1014 • PittsburghHealthPro.com Dr. Danielle Mara has nearly 20 years’ experience helping patients regain their health through conservative and holistic approaches utilizing functional medicine, chiropractic, diet modifications and nutritional support. Plus advanced lab testing, allergy relief, spinal decompression, CDL physicals, massage therapy, thermography and more. Their philosophy is treating the root of your symptoms, naturally. See ad, page 4.

YOUR HEALTH INVESTIGATOR

Dr William Howrilla, DC, CFMP Pittsburgh • SW Pennsylvania • Telehealth 412-445-3168 • YourHealthInvestigator.com Dr. William Howrilla, DC, CFMP is a unique chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner who utilizes Contact Reflex Analysis or CRA, which assesses the energy connections within the body for health analysis, detailed health history and other testing modalities to help you restore your health and regain your vitality and quality of life. See ad, page 8.

HEALTH COACH SHE’S MY HEALTH COACH

D’Anna V. Kromer 1195 W Laurel Cir, Mount Pleasant, PA 724-331-3365 • ShesMyHealthCoach.com Certified health wellness coach and registered yoga teacher assisting individuals with habit change. Providing support, a c c o u n t a b i l i t y, a n d t o t a l t r a n sf o r m a t i o n a l p r o g r a m s addressing most pressing health issues like sugar cravings, energy and mood swings, stress, inflammation, emotional eating, chronic dieting, weight loss, diabetes, and sleep hygiene.

Plus, offering private yoga instruction.

HEALTH FOOD SUNNY BRIDGE NATURAL FOODS & CAFÉ

Peters Town Center, 130 Gallery Dr McMurray • 724-942-5800 SunnyBridgeNaturalFoods.com Locally owned and operated grocery, health and wellness store since 2002. We offer natural, organic and local foods and products; special diet including GF and Keto; quality supplements; dedicated peanut and GF bakery featuring beautiful custom cakes. Our café offers delicious house-made meals. We provide exceptional customer service and knowledgeable staff.

HOLISTIC CENTER DREMARI HOLISTIC WELLNESS

Andréa Kremposky: Holistic Health Practitioner, Energy Healer (Cert.)

Smithfield • 724-984-3926 DremariHolisticWellness.net Assessments, coaching collaboration for whole individual wellness: body, mind and energy.

Nutrition, herbs, complementary modalities and energy work.

Specializing in distance/remote work. Workshops available.

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE DR. DAN WAGNER, RPH, MBA, PHARM-D

Natural Medicine Consultant Distance consultation by phone or Skype 412-486-6263 • AskDrDanWagner@gmail.com Renowned integrative health practitioner and author of Interpreting Your Bloodwork by Dr. Dan Wagner has 21 years as a counselor of both natural and allopathic medicine. In his book, which is available on Amazon or by calling the number above, Dr. Dan explains the results of 135 blood tests and provides council on natural ways to improve results using nutrients, herbs, homeopathy, diet and essential oils.

INTERIOR DESIGN DEBORAH BELLA INTERIOR DESIGN

Debbie S Bielawski, Allied ASID, Associate IIDA 412-216-5487 • DeborahBella.com Info@DeborahBella.com Redesigning your home or office beautifully by utilizing natural, eco-friendly, sustainable and biophilic solutions that are healthier for your mind, body and soul. See ad, page 14.

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE APPALACHIA CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS, PC

Travis D Horne, DC • Gi Ming ‘‘Lili’’ Chan, ND 20120 Route 19, Ste 202, Cranberry Twp, PA 724-553-5312 • AppalachiaChiropractic.com Best of natural medicine – combining both chiropractic and naturopathic care. We provide integrative and individualized care to the community where patients feel heard and truly cared for. We offer manipulation, sports medicine, nutrition, herbal, homeopathy and hydrotherapy. See ad, page 15.

VI-TELOMETRY, LLC

20 Cedar Blvd, Ste 300, Pittsburgh 412-522-4681 • Vitelometry.com Vi-Telometry combines the naturopathic eclectic use of herbs that promote health and wellbeing with the modern nutritional and herbal science fascination with anti-aging and telomerase activity.

SPIRITUAL CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING GREATER PITTSBURGH

Michael Mangus, Spiritual Leader 101 W Main St, Ste 103, Carnegie, PA CSLGreaterPitt@gmail.com CSLGreaterPittsburgh.org A spiritual community teaching the Science of Mind and Spirit through classes, workshops and the Sunday experience 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. each week.

Spiritual counseling and sacred art also offered. See ad, page 4.

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Pittsburgh, PA

NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com

THE PRAYER WARRIOR AND HEALER ThePrayerWarriorAndHealer.com ThePrayerWarriorAndHealer@gmail.com

Healing children, adults and pets through Divine Intervention practices. Specializing in: customized written prayer requests and crystal grids; assisting empathic and sensitive children; Akashic (past-life record) readings; energy clearing for self, home, property and workplace. See ad, page 8.

THERMOGRAPHY ALL ABOUT THERMOGRAPHY, LLC

Barbara Calcagni, CCTII Serving Western PA and beyond 412-378-7506 • AllAboutThermography.com AllAboutThermography@gmail.com Facebook: All About Thermography Thermography is non-invasive medical testing that is radiation free. Barbara Calcagni is a Certified Clinical Level II Thermographer (CCT II) who provides overall health screenings, finding inflammation/infection or disease. Choose to be proactive with your health.

See ad, page 15.

URBAN FARMING GROW PITTSBURGH

Raqueeb Bey, Garden Resource Coordinator 6587 Hamilton Ave, Ste 2W, Pittsburgh 412-362-4769 ext 215 Raqueeb@GrowPittsburgh.org GrowPittsburgh.org Grow Pittsburgh is an urban, agriculture nonprofit that teaches people how to grow food. They envision the day when everyone grows and eats fresh, local and healthy food. Get involved. Take a tour, become a member, learn, volunteer! Visit their website for workshops and events. See calendar for workdays.

VIBRATIONAL MEDICINE SACRED, CENTERED, YOU, LLC 304 Third St, California, PA 412-258-0766 SacredCenteredYou.com

Offering individual and group experiences that promote healing through self-discovery and personal acceptance. Special focus on sound healing, life coaching, qigong, and vibrational medicine. See ad, page 8.

WELLNESS LEARN AND GROW WITH SARA JO

144 Third St, Connellsville 724-208-4977 LearnAndGrowSJR.wixsite.com/website Nutrition and wellness coaching through mindfulness, holisticbased approaches, SOUL (seasonal, organic, unprocessed and local) and intuitive eating. By appointment only. Schedule a free, 30-minute consultation.

Empowering others to listen to their bodies and to create health in their lives according to their needs and lifestyle. See calendar for classes.

SALT OF THE EARTH

Himalayan Salt Cave and Chakra Boutique 504 Valley Brook Rd, McMurray 724-260-0472 • SaltOfTheEarthpgh.com Salt of the Earth offers the ancient healing benefits of salt; serene, therapeutic, and exquisitely built with 16 tons of authentic Himalayan salt.

Sessions are 45 minutes. Group events: guided meditation, yoga, sound healing, and pilates.

Personal services in the cave: reiki, massage, cellular healing, Akashic Records, mediumship and spirit guide channeling. Known to heal respiratory and skin issues, the organically dispersed salt is naturally detoxifying, reduces inflammation, cleanses the respiratory system and improves sleep.

See ad, page 18.

WINER WELLNESS CENTER 2419 Baldwick Rd, Pittsburgh 412-922-9355 • DrWiner.com

Holistic Wellness Center with practitioners for chiropractic, nutritional consultation, allergy elimination and muscle therapy. Workers’ compensation and accident insurance claims. Fully stocked all-natural supplement store.

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

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

ADVERTISING SALES – Natural Awakenings magazine is looking for experienced advertising salespeople covering the Greater Pittsburgh area, SW Pennsylvania and Morgantown WV to help others grow their natural health & wellness and sustainable living or green businesses. Commission-based. Full- or part-time. Paying 25% commission. Unlimited potential income. Be a part of something magical! Send resume to Michelle: Publisher@ NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com.

START A CAREER YOU CAN BE PASSIONATE ABOUT – Publish your own Natural Awakenings magazine. Home-based business, complete with comprehensive training and support system.

New franchises are available or purchase a magazine that is currently publishing. Call 239-530-1377 or visit NaturalAwakeningsmag.com/MyMagazine.

YOGA AND MEDITATION THE HIMALAYAN INSTITUTE OF PITTSBURGH 300 Beverly Rd, Pittsburgh 412-344-7434 • HipYoga.org

The Himalayan Institute of Pittsburgh is committed to creating and supporting programs for wellness in body, mind and spirit; and to promote personal peace and global unity. A daily schedule of yoga and meditation classes and healing services, including massage, reiki and ayurvedic health consultations offered, and leaders of education, providing authentic yoga and ayurveda certification programs. See ad, page 14.

Kindness in words creates confidence.

Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.

Kindness in giving creates love. ~Lao Tzu

Natural Awakenings Client Testimonial Advertising is a key part of modern business and it informs us about the personal choices we have when it comes to our health. Nowadays time is such a valuable asset and with Natural Awakenings you don't have to worry about it, it is so easy and so rewarding! ~Barbara Calcagni All About Thermography

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