Natural Awakenings Greater Pittsburgh

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HEALTHY

LIVING

HEALTHY

PLANET

Vet Check

Treating the Whole Pet

Going Wild

How to Safely Forage

21 Century PARENTING st

Preparing Kids for the Future

Feeding Healthy Habits

10-Step Guide

August 2019 | Pittsburgh, PA Edition | NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com August 2019

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET

PITTSBURGH, PA EDITION PUBLISHER Michelle Dalnoky EDITORS Randy Kambic 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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ne of our themes this month is pet health, so I thought I would share the story of my own little loves. Affection for our pets and even wild animals is really changing in the world right now as more people turn to a plant-based diet or are at least cognizant of the need to treat all animals in a humane manner.

For the last eight years, I have had a beautiful rescue cat as a lovely part of the family. A couple of months ago, a neighbor posted an urgent need for someone to adopt a dog, as the family was moving and had not been able to find a home for their 4-year-old Rhodesian ridgeback. The only place they could find was a kill shelter where she would have 10 days to live. Now my sister and I are her new people, and she is a real sweetheart.

Next, my heart was broken a few weeks ago when I saw a beautiful white cat on the road in my neighborhood that had been hit by a car. Within a couple of days, I began seeing tiny, white kittens near the site. When I approached, they would disappear into the trees or fields up a steep embankment before I could get to them. I left food out, and so did some of my neighbors.

I had some box traps in my garage, so I put on my muck boots, climbed up that slippery, muddy embankment in the rain Tinka and put some cat food in the traps. That night, I had three new little kittens. They were about a month old and very hungry. Two of them were pure white and one gray and white. They were so adorable that you couldn’t help but fall in love with them.

I called and called and finally found a lady through a neighbor who is a cat rescuer and agreed to take them. Then I had the idea that I could keep one and give her to my daughter for her 18th birthday. She had been asking for a kitten for some time, so the two, sweet, little white kittens went on their way and little Luna Luna stayed with me.

It’s so amazing to me that there is a network of wonderful people in this world with an evolving sense of caring for animals both wild and tame. We are contemplating how best to love them, provide for their well-being and help them to coexist with integrity in our lives. As our own view of human health and wellbeing changes to a more natural approach, so does our view of how to care for the animals we love. I love that there are holistic pet care providers and natural products. There are even pet nutritionists to help us learn about keeping pets naturally healthy. It Olive really is exciting, because we can do so much better for our pets and they deserve it for bringing us so much joy in return.

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Contents 5 VEGFEST 2019

AT ALLEGHENY COMMONS

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11 URBAN FARMING SPROUTS IN HILLTOP 12 WILD AND WONDERFUL Foraging for Foodies

15 LOVING

OURSELVES MADLY Practice Intentional Self-Love

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16 21ST CENTURY

PARENTING

Preparing Kids for the Future

19 GENTILE FAMILY DIRECT PRIMARY CARE 20 FEEDING

HEALTHY HABITS A 10-Step Guide for Helping Children Thrive

22 BEYOND SUSTAINABILITY ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS HOW TO ADVERTISE To advertise with Natural Awakenings or request a media kit, please contact us at 724-271-8877 or email Publisher@NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com.

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Regenerative Agriculture Takes Aim at Climate Change

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24 VET CHECK

Treating the Whole Pet

26 AROMATHERAPY

FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL

DEPARTMENTS 4 news brief 5 event spotlight 6 health briefs 9 global briefs 11 nonprofit spotlight 12 conscious eating 15 inspiration

19 community 20 22 23 24 27 29 30

spotlight healthy kids green living healing ways natural pet calendar classifieds resource guide August 2019

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news brief

Thermal Imaging For Pets

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arbara Calcagni, CCT II, owner of All About Thermography, LLC, offers veterinary thermography services in Connelsville and Mt. Pleasant, as well as via non-threatening home visits. She says, “It is very difficult to recognize the signs of pain in our pets. Animals cannot tell us where it hurts.

Thermal imaging is a tool to help us visualize the exact location of the inflammation and pain in your pets’ body.”

This clinical imaging procedure is appropriate for identifying sources of pain; ligament, tendon and muscle sprains or strains; infections or inflammatory conditions; neurologic conditions; cancer; blood flow disorders; and wellness and preventative care.

Thermography is U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved; radiation-free; non-invasive; and no sedation is needed.

Reports are provided by doctors of veterinary medicine that are board-certified thermologists.

For more information and to make appointments, call 412-3787506, email AllAboutThermography@gmail.com or visit AllAboutThermography.com. See ad, page 18.

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event spotlight

VegFest 2019 at Allegheny Commons

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vegan lifestyle goes beyond just not eating animals, but also embracing the idea that animals are not ours to wear, experiment on, consume or use for entertainment. The Pittsburgh nonprofit Justice for Animals (JFA) supports initiatives in Pittsburgh for protecting animals, spreading awareness about animal rights issue and educating the public about what they can do to live healthier and cruelty free lives. Their 2019 annual Pittsburgh VegFest takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., August 10, at Allegheny Commons Park East, with attendance estimated at as many as 10,000 people.

This summer festival located in the heart of the city brings together the best veg food in Pittsburgh, music, shopping, speakers, food, yoga demos and family-friendly entertainment for all ages, celebrating the vibrant and diverse animal advocacy that goes on in the Steel City.

Highlights include live music, shopping, informative speakers, cooking and food demonstrations, yoga and kids activities.

Voted Best Food Festival in Pittsburgh two years in a row, visitors will discover small business merchandise and wellness vendors, nonprofit animal welfare organizations and adoptions, along with fantastic veg food spread out across Allegheny Park.

JFA co-founders Leila Sleiman and Natalie Fristick met at a protest against the animal cruelty found in circuses. They organized VegFest to bring the community together and extend compassion to more than just dogs and cats.

Their organization has also organized many demonstrations around the city, participated in neighborhood education missions and clean-ups, and hosts a plant-based Thanksgiving dinner every year called VegFEAST.

Fristick has always has a special place in her heart for animals. As an adult, she became a vegetarian, and in 2010, she began volunteering at People for the Ethical treatment of Animals (PETA). Within three years, she was conducting undercover investigations to document animal cruelty in zoos and circuses.

Sleiman refused to eat any food produced as a result of an animal’s death as a child; she disliked the taste of meat and questioned why people felt the need to eat it as a means of survival. In 2005, she began interning at PETA and later joined the staff, touring the country to spread awareness of the plight of animals being used for food, clothing, experiments and entertainment.

Admission is free. Location: East Ohio St., Pittsburgh. For more information, visit JusticeForAnimalsPA.org. Stop by the Natural Awakenings table and say hi. See ad, back cover.

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Eat Plants to Live Longer At least one-third of early deaths could be prevented if people moved to a largely plant-based diet, prominent scientists from Harvard University Medical School have calculated. An international initiative, “Food in the Anthropocene,” published in the medical journal The Lancet, linked plant-based diets not only to improved health worldwide, but also to global sustainability.

The report advocates a diet high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts, and low in red meat, sugar and refined grains. “Unhealthy diets pose a greater risk to morbidity and mortality than does unsafe sex, and alcohol, drug and tobacco use combined,” it concludes.

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Montmorency tart cherries, first discovered

by Roman legionnaires along the Black Sea, have been shown to have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, according to scientists. Now a study from the UK’s University of Hertfordshire published in the Journal of Functional Foods has found that the cherries can mitigate factors that lead to metabolic syndrome, a condition that increases the risk of stroke, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Just two hours after being given cherries in the form of juice or capsules, subjects showed significantly decreased systolic blood pressure, and insulin levels were significantly lower after one and three hours compared to those given a placebo.

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Eggs should only be a now and then thing, the latest research from Northwestern Medicine, in Chicago, indicates. The new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at pooled data on 29,615 U.S. racially and ethnically diverse adults with an average of more than 17 years of follow up.

It found that for every 300 milligrams (mg) of dietary cholesterol eaten per day, risk of death from heart disease increases by 17 percent and mortality from any cause increases by 18 percent. One large egg has a whopping 186 mg of cholesterol in the yolk, and eating three to four eggs a week increases heart disease mortality by 6 percent and all-cause mortality by 8 percent. Frank Hu, M.D., at the Harvard School of Public Health, comments that low to moderate intake of eggs can be included as part of a healthy eating pattern, but they are not essential. Dietary cholesterol also comes from red meat, processed meat and high-fat dairy products such as butter and whipped cream.

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Take It Easy on the Eggs

Savor Cherries to Lower Metabolic Syndrome Risk

Use Probiotics to Shed Pounds For the one-third of Americans struggling with obesity, new research on probiotics from the Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, in China, offers a promising approach. In a meta-review of 12 randomized, placebo-controlled studies that tested 821 obese and overweight people, probiotic supplementation was found to significantly reduce body weight, weight circumference and fat mass, and to improve cholesterol and glucose metabolism measures. Probiotics were administered in forms that included sachet, capsule, powder, kefir yogurt and fermented milk, in durations that ranged from eight to 24 weeks.

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health briefs

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Walk or Run to Keep Blood Vessels and Brains Young

Reiki Isn’t Just for Humans Although we still hear stories of abuse and neglect, the average American household thinks of their pets as members of the family. They are energetically susceptible to stress caused by everyday worries, fears and negative emotions.

Reiki for animals is beneficial in helping ease the energetic transference of stress and can assist with the healing process from physical injuries and illnesses. At more dire moments when an animal is ready to leave the physical realm, Reiki can bring calm and peace, not only to the animal, but their human family, too.

Our little bundles of fur joy want to please and help us so much that they will take on a lot of negative energy. Then it becomes overwhelming to their own physical, mental and emotional well-being. This is unconditional love in action.

Reiki is not a substitute for veterinary care. It is an alternative healing modality to be used in conjunction with regular professional services.

Source: Justine Wandel, in Connellsville, has been a student of metaphysics and energy work since 1990. For more information, call 724-707-4338 or email Emily.RiverWellness@ gmail.com.

Running novices that trained for six months and then ran their first marathon actually reversed the aging of major blood vessels—and older and slower people benefitted most, report researchers at University College London. The study of 139 healthy first-time marathon runners, ages 21 to 69, was presented at the 2019 European Society of Cardiology Congress. It found that those first-timers reduced their arterial age by four years and their stroke risk by 10 percent over their lifetime.

In another study presented at the Congress that was based on data from 605 heart failure patients, researchers reported that those walking the farthest in a six-minute test, indicating better fitness, were significantly less likely to have the cognitive impairment that afflicts 67 percent of patients with heart failure.

Quit Smoking to Avoid Rheumatoid Arthritis Stopping smoking has the long-term benefit of reducing the risk of developing seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by 37 percent over 30 years, say researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston. The study was based on data from the 230,000 women that participated in two longitudinal Nurses’ Health Studies, and focused on the 969 women that developed seropositive RA. Risk began to go down about five years after women quit smoking and continued to decrease the longer they stayed non-smokers. Patients with seropositive RA generally have more severe disease manifestations, including joint deformities and disability.

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. ~Edith Wharton August 2019

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health briefs

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Plant-Based Diets Support a Wide Variety of Options A plant-based diet consists of unrefined and minimally processed foods that include whole, preferably gluten-free, grains, vegetables, nuts, seed, legumes and tubers. These diets are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. They have been shown to improve blood glucose levels, help with digestion and to help lower blood pressure. Here are some tips from Harvard Medical School to start on a plant-based diet.

Eat lots of vegetables. Fill half the plate with vegetables at lunch and dinner. Make sure to include plenty of colors in choosing vegetables. Enjoy vegetables as a snack with hummus, salsa or guacamole.

Choose good fats. Fats in olive oil, olives, nuts and nut butters, seeds and avocados are particularly healthy choices.

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Include whole grains for breakfast. Start with oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat or barley. Then add some nuts or seeds, along with fresh fruit.

Go for greens. Try a variety of green, leafy vegetables such as kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach and other greens each day. Steam, grill, braise or stir-fry to preserve their flavor and nutrients.

Build a meal around a salad. Fill a bowl with salad greens such as romaine, spinach, Bibb, or red, leafy greens. Add an assortment of other vegetables, along with fresh herbs, beans, peas or tofu.

Eat fruit for dessert. A ripe, juicy peach, a refreshing slice of watermelon or a crisp apple will satisfy cravings for a sweet bite after a meal.

Sunny Bridge Café has a new menu with many vegan meals or vegan options for most menu items. They are also peanut and gluten-free. For more information, visit Tinyurl.com/PlanetBasedDiet. See ad, page 15.

global briefs

Hot Topic

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Farmers Responding to Climate Change

Climate change has inspired farmers to turn to regenerative agriculture, which pulls carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and stores it in their soil. Regenerative agriculture incorporates the practices of planting trees, cover cropping, no-till farming and rotational grazing.

As the groundswell of support grows, 250 soil health bills have been introduced in state and federal legislatures in the last two years.

At a U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee climate change hearing, Nebraska soybean farmer Matthew Rezac said that keeping soil healthy, not just reducing greenhouse gas emissions, was a key part of what farmers could do to cool a warming planet. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the bills have different justifications, but they all focus on soil health. As disastrous floods and drought sweep away farmland, the idea that regenerative agriculture could make for more productive farming is gaining traction.

Moon Rocks

Tectonic Activity Shakes Geologists

Long considered to be geologically inactive, our 4.6billion-year-old moon is showing signs of tectonic activity via seismometers deployed between 1969 and 1972 during the NASA Apollo program. Although some “moonquakes” have been recorded near cliff-like fault scarps on the surface, they may be caused by the irregular gravitational effects of orbiting the more massive Earth or extreme temperature differences created by sunlight in the vacuum of space. Employing more sensitive equipment has been proposed for future missions to assist in choosing potential colonization sites.

Coral Care

Reefs to Get Their Day in Court

Critical habitat is threatened for 12 coral species in Florida, the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, while all corals worldwide are experiencing dramatic declines due to the impacts of climate change, pollution and overfishing. The Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson-based nonprofit focused on species protection, intends to file a lawsuit against the federal government for failing to protect coral habitat as required under the Endangered Species Act. Benefits of securing a critical habitat designation from the National Marine Fisheries Service include improved water quality throughout the coastal zone, limits on overfishing, protection of spawning grounds, reduced impact from development and dredging, and reduced human pressures on thousands of species that inhabit the reefs.

Nearly 30 percent of all corals have already been lost to warming ocean temperatures and ocean acidification due to greenhouse gas pollution; scientists predict that the rest could be gone by the end of the century without help.

Fluorescent Findings

Artificial Light Tied to Inflammation

Fluorescent lighting is one of the most common sources of artificial light, but new research from Texas State University suggests there may be unexpected consequences at the genetic level. Team member Ronald B. Walter says, “Over the past 60 years, we have increasingly relied on artificial light sources that emit much narrower wavelength spectrums than does the sun. Yet, little research has been conducted to determine gene expression consequences, if any, from use of common artificial light sources.” Their findings, published in the online journal Genes, show increased inflammation in tissue and organs and increased immune response in the subject animals, regardless of whether the species is primarily active in the day or night.

August 2019

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New discovery stops colds “It worked!” sinuses. Attorney Donna Blight had he exclaimed. a 2-day sinus headache. When her “The cold never CopperZap arrived, she tried it. “I am got going.” It shocked!” she said. “My head cleared, worked again no more headache, no more congestion.” every time. He Some users say copper stops nighthas not had a time stuffiness if used just before bed. single cold for 7 One man said, “Best sleep I’ve had in years since. years.”

New research: Copper stops colds if used early.

He asked Copper can also stop flu if used early cientists recently discovered a relatives and friends to try it. They said and for several days. Lab technicians way to kill viruses and bacteria. it worked for them, too, so he patented placed 25 million live flu viruses on a Now thousands of people CopperZap™ and put it on the market.

CopperZap. No viruses were found alive are using it to stop colds and flu.

Soon hundreds of people had tried it soon after.

Colds start when cold viruses get in and given feedback. Nearly 100% said Dr. Bill Keevil led one of the teams your nose. Viruses multiply fast. If you the copper stops colds if used within confirming the don’t stop them early, they spread in 3 hours after the first sign. Even up to discovery. He placed your airways and cause misery.

2 days, if they still get the cold it is millions of disease In hundreds of studies, EPA and unimilder than usual and they feel better. germs on copper. versity researchers have confirmed that Users wrote things like, “It “They started to die viruses and bacteria die almost instantly stopped my cold right away,” and “Is literally as soon as when touched by copper. it supposed to work that fast?” they touched the That’s why ancient Greeks and Egyp“What a wonderful thing,” wrote surface,” he said. tians used copper to purify water and Physician’s Assistant Julie. “No more People have even Dr. Bill Keevil: Copper quickly kills used copper on cold heal wounds. They didn’t know about colds for me!” cold viruses. viruses and bacteria, but now we do.

Pat McAllister, 70, received one sores and say it can Scientists say the high conductance for Christmas and called it “one of the completely prevent outbreaks. of copper disrupts the electrical balance best presents ever. This little jewel really The handle is curved and finely in a microbe cell and destroys the cell in works.” textured to improve contact. It kills seconds.

Now thousands of users have simply germs picked up on fingers and hands to Tests by the stopped getting colds. protect you and your family.

EPA (EnvironPeople often use Copper even kills deadly germs that mental Protection CopperZap preventivehave become resistant to antibiotics. If Agency) show ly. Frequent flier Karen you are near sick people, a moment of germs die fast Gauci used to get colds handling it may keep serious infection on copper. So after crowded flights. away. It may even save a life. some hospitals Though skeptical, she The EPA says copper still works tried copper for tried it several times a even when tarnished. It kills hundreds of touch surfaces day on travel days for 2 different disease germs so it can prevent Sinus trouble, stuffiness, cold sores. months. “Sixteen flights serious or even fatal illness. like faucets and doorknobs. This cut the spread of MRSA and not a sniffle!” she exclaimed.

CopperZap is made in the U.S. of and other illnesses by over half, and Businesswoman Rosaleen says when pure copper. It has a 90-day full money saved lives. people are sick around her she uses back guarantee when used as directed The strong scientific evidence gave CopperZap morning and night. “It saved to stop a cold. It is $69.95. Get $10 off inventor Doug Cornell an idea. When me last holidays,” she said. “The kids each CopperZap with code NATA11.

Go to www.CopperZap.com or call he felt a cold about to start he fashioned had colds going round and round, but toll-free 1-888-411-6114. a smooth copper probe and rubbed it not me.”

Buy once, use forever. gently in his nose for 60 seconds.

Some users say it also helps with

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nonprofit spotlight

URBAN FARMING SPROUTS IN HILLTOP

by Martin Miron

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ittsburgh nonprofit Hilltop Urban Farm is located on 23 acres of the 107-acre former St. Clair Village property owned by the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh.

It began with a community vision session in 2013 involving residents of the Mt. Oliver City and St. Clair neighborhoods, focusing on the redevelopment of the former St. Clair Village property into an asset that could better serve the needs of the area.

Located on the site of the former St. Clair Village public housing neighborhood, 67 acres of the property are undeveloped hillside. In addition to 23 acres of farmland, 12 acres will be used for green spaces and other future development. Another 14 acres will be retained for potential future housing.

Executive Director Sarah Ashley Baxendell says, “2019 is the first

growing season at Hilltop Urban Farm. This season, we primarily grow annual vegetables and flower in the one-acre Youth Farm. Students aged 3 to 19 in this program grow, harvest and eat the produce that is grown. Hilltop Urban Farm has also planted 252 fruit trees in 2018 and 2019, establishing the largest orchard in the city of Pittsburgh.”

Their inventory of crops includes peaches, pears, apricots, nectarines, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, watermelon, apples, cider apples, tomatoes, onions, peppers, salad greens, herbs, okra, asparagus, hazelnuts and chestnuts.

“While Hilltop Urban Farm is not certified organic at this stage, we grow as if we are, utilizing soil conversation practices, permaculture, and using only organically certified products and amendments,” notes Baxendell.

Their mission is to create and sustain a new, regional asset in south Pittsburgh’s Hilltop community that is committed to growing food, growing farmers and growing a community. Baxendell says, “Hilltop Urban Farm will benefit its neighbors by being a catalyst for community pride and reinvestment. With the tools, education and funding needed to successfully operate, Hilltop Urban Farm will provide entrepreneurial opportunities for farmers; teach children

about farming; and offer easy access to healthy, locally-grown food for the community. Hilltop Urban Farm will serve as a national model for leveraging urban agriculture planning and programming to achieve a broad spectrum of community development goals.”

Hilltop Urban Farm has been supported by the Henry L. Hillman Foundation since 2015. The Youth Farm Program is supported by PNC Foundation, The Grable Foundation, Birmingham Foundation, EQT Foundation, American Eagle Outfitters Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, and Junior League of Pittsburgh.

The Farmer Incubation Program is supported by Colcom Foundation, Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, Allegheny Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, and Whole Foods Market Pittsburgh. The project is also supported by the Forbes Fund and projects are sponsored by the East End Food coop, Pennsylvania American Water, Turner’s Dairy, and MB Landscaping and Gardening.

“Reinvestment in community is our guiding principle,” says Baxendell. In 2013, Hilltop Alliance worked closely with community-based organizations such as the Mt. Oliver-St. Clair Community Group and Lighthouse Cathedral to ensure that the conception and planning of Hilltop Urban Farm aligned with the goals of the St. Clair and Mt. Oliver communities. Over the last six years, Hilltop Alliance and Hilltop Urban Farm have continued to work closely with members of the community to ensure they are given the resources and information to envision the benefits of reinvestment. “As Hilltop Urban Farm continues in its development phase, community reinvestment remains at our core,” she notes. “Our ultimate goal for Hilltop Urban Farm is that it will operate independently and serve as a dynamic resource for the community that surrounds the site.”

The Youth Farm Program partners with Pittsburgh Arlington PreK-8 school, Lighthouse Cathedral and New Academy Charter School. In this program, students learn to grow fruits and vegetables, sustainable food systems and local ecology. Young farmers learn to harvest and cook fresh farm produce during nutrition education workshops. This program is supported by partnerships with Power Up and the Allegheny Land Trust.

Hilltop Urban Farm aims to include a fully functional professional farmer training program and a neighborhood-serving community garden. It has completed the development of the one-acre production orchard and one-acre Youth Farm from spring 2018 to spring 2019. Future plans for this program include expanding into after-school program partnerships with Pittsburgh Arlington PreK-8 school and Lighthouse Cathedral in Mt Oliver and St Clair, and increased participation from high school students at New Academy Charter School.

Hilltop Urban Farm is currently working to complete the build-out of the professional farmer training amenities, including a cooler, wash/pack station, solar panels, hoop house, shared tool library and improved urban farm soil conditions. Once this program is at capacity, it will quadruple the amount of food grown in the city of Pittsburgh.

Hilltop Urban Farm is located at 700 Cresswell St. Interested parties may attend a volunteer workday on Sept. 29. For more information, visit HilltopUrbanFarm.org.

August 2019

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Wild and Wonderful Foraging for Foodies

by April Thompson

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Wild plants, plants—particularly in here is such a thing as a free lunch, and terms of phytochemicals because they it awaits adventurand antioxidants. They also must take care of ous foragers in backyards, tend to be lower in sugar themselves, tend to and other simple carbs, and city parks, mountain be more nutritious higher in fiber.” meadows and even sidewalk cracks. From nutriPurslane, a wild than cultivated tious weeds and juicy berplants—particularly succulent, has more ries to delicate, delicious omega-3s than any other in terms of flowers and refreshing leafy vegetable, says phytochemicals tree sap, wild, edible foods John Kallas, the Portabound in cities, suburbia land, Oregon, author of and antioxidants. and rural environments.

Edible Wild Plants: Wild ~Deane Jordan Throughout most of Foods From Dirt to Plate. history, humans were foragers that relied on Mustard garlic, a common invasive plant, local plant knowledge for survival, as both is the most nutritious leafy green ever food and medicine. Today’s foragers are analyzed, says Kallas, who holds a Ph.D. reviving that ancestral tradition to improve in nutrition. “However, the real dietary diets, explore new flavors, develop kinship benefit of foraged plants is in their great with the environment, and simply indulge diversity, as each has a unique profile of in the joy and excitement of finding and phytochemicals. There is no such thing as preparing wild foods. a superfood, just superdiets,” he adds.

Wild Foods As ‘Superdiet’

Know Thy Plant

“There are many benefits to eating wild food,” says Deane Jordan, founder of EatTheWeeds. com, of Orlando, Florida. “Wild plants, because they must take care of themselves, tend to be more nutritious than cultivated

Rule number one of foraging is to be 100 percent sure of your identification 100 percent of the time, says Leda Meredith, the New York City author of The Forager’s Feast: How to Identify, Gather, and Prepare

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Wild Edibles. Foraging experts say the fear of wild plants is largely unfounded.

“The biggest misconception is that we are experimenting with unknowns,” says Kallas. “Today’s wild edibles are traditional foods from Native American or European cultures we have lost touch with.”

For example, European settlers brought with them dandelions, now considered a nuisance weed, as a source of food and medicine. All parts of it are edible, including flowers, roots and leaves, and have nutritional superpowers.

To assess a plant, Kallas adds, a forager must know three things about it: the part or parts that are edible, the stage of growth to gather it and how to prepare it. “Some plants have parts that are both edible and poisonous. Others can be toxic raw, but perfectly edible cooked,” he says.

Timing is everything, adds Meredith.

“A wild ingredient can be fantastic in one week, and incredibly bitter a week later, so it’s important to know when its prime season is.”

Kallas recommends staying away from highly trafficked roadsides and polluted areas. Given that many lawns and public areas are sprayed with herbicides, Sam Thayer, author of The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants, recommends not foraging in an area if it’s uncertain whether chemicals have been applied.

Environmental awareness includes understanding how foraging may positively or negatively affect the ecosystem, says Meredith. “Overharvesting can endanger future populations. But there is a ‘win-win’ way to forage, where I get fantastic food and the landscape is better for my having foraged, by clearing invasive plants around natives or planting seeds while collecting a local plant gone to seed.”

Thayer, of Bruce, Wisconsin, suggests collecting where species are abundant and thriving: “Fruit, for example, can be harvested limitlessly, as can wild invasives that disrupt the balance of the ecosystem and crowd out native species.”

Meal Preparation Vinegars, jams and cordials from wild fruits and flowers can be wonderful, but

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conscious eating

require some patience for the payoff, yet many wild edibles can be eaten raw or lightly sautéed, requiring very little prep work. Thayer recommends sautéing wild greens with just a little soy sauce, vinegar and garlic.

Foraging builds confidence, powers of observation and connections to the natural world. The biggest benefit, says Thayer, may just be the fun of it. “You can experience food and flavors you cannot have any other way. A lot of these foods you cannot buy anywhere, and really, it’s better food than you can buy.”

Simply Wild: Forage Recipes Garlic Mustard Pesto on Crisp-Creamy Polenta Yields: 4 servings Leda Meredith, author of The Forager’s Feast: How to Identify, Gather, and Prepare Wild Edibles, says, “Wild food aficionados may roll their eyes when they see that I’m including this recipe because pesto is used as the go-to recipe for this plant so often that it’s become a cliché. But there’s a reason for that: it’s really, really good.

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

Beginner’s Tips From Master Foragers

D

on’t try to learn foraging; just try to learn about one vegetable or fruit, says Sam Thayer. “Take it one plant at a time. It takes the intimidation out of it.”

Find a good local instructor that has a solid background in botany and other fundamentals of foraging, says John Kallas.

“Also, get some good books, and more than one, as each will offer different dimensions,” says the author and instructor.

Conquer the fear of Latin and learn the scientific names of plants, suggests Leda Meredith. As there may be several plants with the same common name, or one plant with many common names, knowing scientific names will help clear up potential confusion in identifying them.

You don’t have to go far to find food, says Deane Jordan. “In reality, there is often a greater selection around your neighborhood than in state parks.

In suburbia, you find native species, the edible weeds that come with agriculture, and also edible ornamentals.”

Bring the kids: They make fabulous foragers, says Meredith. “They learn superfast and it’s a way to pass cultural knowledge along and instill that food doesn’t come from a garden or a farm, but from photosynthesis and the Earth and the sun.”

Buttered Cattail Shoots With Peas and Mint Yields: 4 servings This is a riff on the traditional English springtime dish of lettuce wilted in butter with peas and mint. The pleasingly mild flavor of the cattail shoots stands in for the lettuce. Stick with just the whitest parts of the shoots for pure tenderness or include some of the pale green bits if you want a sturdier dish.

2 Tbsp unsalted butter 3 cups cattail shoots, chopped ½ cup water 1 cup fresh or frozen shelled peas (if frozen, defrost them first) 2 Tbsp fresh mint, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper

“You can toss garlic mustard pesto with pasta, of course, but a spoonful added to soup just before serving is also wonderful, as is a smear of it on focaccia or toast. My favorite way to enjoy garlic mustard pesto is on pan-fried polenta that is crispy on the outside and creamy within.”

2 cups fresh garlic mustard leaves and tender stems 3 Tbsp walnuts or pine nuts, chopped 1 tsp garlic, minced (wild or cultivated) ¼ cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 Tbsp butter 8 slices (½-inch-thick) cooked polenta Put the garlic mustard leaves, nuts and garlic into the blender or food processor.

Pulse until the leaves are chopped.

Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the cattail shoots and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the cattail shoots are tender and most of the water has evaporated.

Add the peas and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring.

Remove from the heat and stir in the mint with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve warm.

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flowers are either budding or just starting to open) 4 garlic cloves, peeled 1 to 2 medium-hot red chili peppers (pepperoncini), stems and seeds removed ¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided (use your best as this is one of the main flavors of the sauce) Salt to taste ½ cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, freshly grated (again, use the best you’ve got) Freshly ground black pepper

Add the cheese. With the motor running, add ½ cup of oil a little at a time until the mixture is well blended, but not completely smooth. (You want a bit of texture from the nuts and greens to remain.)

Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick pan over mediumhigh heat. Add the polenta slices. (You can use the precooked polenta that comes out of a tube, or if you cooked some from scratch, spread it out ½-inch thick on a baking sheet and refrigerate until sliceable.)

Don’t try to move the polenta slices until they’ve browned on the bottom side. You’ll know that’s happened when they dislodge easily. Use a spatula to flip them over and brown the other side.

Plate two slices per person, with the garlic mustard pesto spread on top. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Tip: If you want to keep this pesto in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to six months, blanch the garlic mustard greens in boiling water for 20 seconds, then immediately run them under cold water or dip them in an ice bath. Squeeze out as much water as you can, then proceed with the recipe. This blanching step prevents the pesto from losing its bright green color and turning brown in cold storage.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the penne and set a timer for seven minutes.

Simple Supper Garlic Mustard Pasta Yields: 4 servings This is a simple, but satisfying onepot meal that comes together in about 20 minutes total. You can embellish the recipe with additional ingredients such as chorizo sausage or pine nuts, but it’s really not necessary. Sometimes simple is best.

1 lb penne pasta 1 lb garlic mustard leaves and shoots, washed and coarsely chopped (ideally, you’re using garlic mustard at the stage where the stems are still tender and the

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While the pasta is cooking, prep the other ingredients: wash and chop the garlic mustard, mince the garlic or put it through a garlic press, chop the chili peppers.

After seven minutes, add the garlic mustard to the pasta in the pot and cook until the pasta is al dente, usually about five minutes more.

Scoop out a ladleful of the pasta cooking water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and garlic mustard in a colander. Return the pot to the stove over low heat.

Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pot along with the garlic and chili pepper.

Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Return the reserved pasta cooking water and the drained pasta and garlic mustard greens back to the pot. Raise the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for a minute or two until the liquid is mostly evaporated or absorbed. Remove from the heat, then stir in the remaining olive oil and salt. (Go scant on the salt because the grated cheese you’ll be adding is salty.)

Serve hot with freshly grated cheese and freshly ground pepper.

Other wild edibles you can use in this recipe include any leafy greens, as well as the leaves of any wild garlic species.

Recipes and photos from The Forager’s Feast: How to Identify, Gather, and Prepare Wild Edibles. Reproduced by permission of The Countryman Press. All rights reserved.

inspiration

LOVING OURSELVES MADLY Practice Intentional Self-Love

I

by Scott Stabile

t’s not enough to wish for more self-love. We must be intentional about creating it and commit to loving ourselves by practicing these habits every day.

HBRH/Shutterstock.com

Don’t believe our thoughts.

Our minds lie to us all the time, especially where our self-worth is concerned. The moment we become aware we are mentally abusing ourselves, we can refuse to believe these thoughts. The fact is, we are worthy and enough exactly as we are. Any thoughts that contradict this truth are lies. We must not go to war with our mind, but should definitely get in the habit of challenging our mind’s lies and not believing them when they run amok.

Replace self-abuse with self-love.

Not believing our crueler thoughts is step one.

Replacing them with kinder, more compassionate and loving thoughts is step two. When our minds call us ugly, we must sink into

our hearts and remind ourselves that we are beautiful, as we are.

When our minds insist we’re weak, we must declare our strength.

Every single thought and word that speaks to our worth is a powerful and sustaining reflection of self-love. Substitute self-abuse with love as often as possible and then watch our lives change in powerful ways.

Set boundaries and enforce them.

To love ourselves, we have to set clear boundaries with the people in our lives. State what works and what doesn’t work. If we don’t clearly speak our boundaries, people will trample them, and we’ll only have ourselves to blame. Boundaries show respect for all involved. A lack of boundaries will almost certainly lead to resentment.

Make time for happy places.

We all have places that tend to bring us peace and/or joy: a walk among the trees, curled up with a good book, coffee with a close friend.

Make time for these experiences. Every second we spend giving energy to the people, places and things that bring us joy is a second of dedicated self-love. It matters. Just as important, pay attention to the people, places and things that are depleting, that feel unhealthy and toxic, and give less energy to them. Knowing what to eliminate can be as impactful as knowing what to add.

How we love ourselves is our responsibility. The greater commitment we make to self-love, the greater chance we create of living a more peaceful, joyful and meaningful life.

Scott Stabile is the author of Big Love: The Power of Living with a Wide-Open Heart.

Learn more at ScottStabile.com.

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PARENTING Preparing Kids for the Future

by Meredith Montgomery

T

oday’s children have more opportunities to change the world than ever before. Teenagers are organizing global activism movements, LEGO lovers are mastering robotics and young entrepreneurs are launching successful businesses before they’re old enough to drive.

But for Mom and Dad, this fastpaced, technology-driven childhood looks drastically different from their own.

To help kids thrive, parents must learn to mindfully embrace today’s modern advances without losing sight of timeless virtues and skills such as kindness, creativity and critical thinking.

Finding Balance After-school hours used to be filled with outdoor free play in which kids independently developed their natural capabilities as self-learners and creative problemsolvers. The Children & Nature Network has reported that just 6 percent of children ages 9 to 13 play outside on their own.

Instead, stress and anxiety are on the rise in our competitive culture as many kids attempt to balance heavy homework loads with an overflowing schedule of extracurricular activities.

With the ability to connect to the world at our fingertips, Thomas Murray, director of innovation for Future Ready Schools, in Washington, D.C., notes that devices can also disconnect us from those right next to us. “It’s a massive struggle to find balance and mindfulness, but it’s vitally important. How often do we see an AP [advanced placement] kid that is falling apart emotionally? As parents, we need to recognize that kids have a lot on their plate—more than ever before.”

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Salt Lake City-based Courtney Carver, author of Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More, worries that parents are creating résumés for a life their children probably don’t want. On her BeMoreWithLess.com website, she focuses on living with less clutter, busyness and stress to simplify life and discover what really matters. “It’s challenging to maintain close connections when we’re overwhelmed with what’s in our inbox, or on Instagram or what the kids are looking at online,” she says.

On her own journey to practical minimalism, she gained a greater sense of presence with her daughter. “When you can pay attention to a conversation and not feel distracted and antsy, especially with young kids, that is everything,” says Carver.

Managing Technology The ubiquity of digital devices is a defining difference between today’s youth and that of their elders, making it difficult for parents to relate and know how to set boundaries.

As senior parenting editor at nonprofit Common Sense Media,

NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com

It’s a massive struggle to find balance and mindfulness, but it’s vitally important. How often do we see an AP [advanced placement] kid that is falling apart emotionally? ~Thomas Murray

Evgeny Atamanenko/Shutterstock.com

21 CENTURY st

Caroline Knorr helps parents make sense of what’s going on in their kids’ media lives.

“We can think of media as a ‘super peer’: When children are consuming it, they’re looking for cues on how to behave and what’s cool and what’s normal.” Parents need to be the intermediary so they can counterbalance the external messages with their own family’s values.

Today’s devices are persuasive and addictive. “As parents, we need to set boundaries, model good digital habits and help

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kids to self-regulate more—which is our ultimate goal,” Knorr says.

To raise good digital citizens, Richard Culatta, CEO of International Society for Technology in Education, in Arlington, Virginia, believes conversations about device use shouldn’t end with screen time limits and online safety. “Ask kids if their technology use is helping them be more engaged and find more meaning in the world or is it pulling them out of the world that they’re in,” he says. “Talk about how to use technology to improve the community around you, recognize true and false info, be involved in democratic processes and making your voice heard about issues you care about.”

Parents are often uncomfortable with their kids socializing digitally, but Culatta encourages the introduction of interactive media sooner rather than later, so they understand how to engage with the world online before they are old enough to have social media accounts. Geocaching, which uses GPS-enabled devices to treasure hunt, and citizen science apps provide family-friendly opportunities to engage in both outdoor activities and online communities.

“The majority of our kids will need these digital communication skills to be able to work with anyone at any time,” says Murray. He’s witnessed the impact of connecting classrooms around the world, observing, “When students learn to navigate time zones and language barriers to communicate and collaborate, they see that they can solve the world’s problems together.”

Raising Innovators “The world doesn’t care how much our children know; what the world cares about is what they do with what they know,” says Tony Wagner, senior research fellow at the Learning Policy Institute, an education research and policy nonprofit in Palo Alto, California. In his latest book, Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for The Innovation Era, he emphasizes the importance of creative problem-solving and the joy of discovery, especially as more jobs become automated. “We’re born with a temperament of creative problem solvers.

But then something happens. The longer

We need to create an intentional family culture where virtues like kindness and respect are talked about, modeled, upheld, celebrated and practiced in everyday life. ~Thomas Lickona kids are in school, the fewer questions they ask, the more they worry about getting the right answer and fewer and fewer think of themselves as creative in any way,” he says.

“Instead of listening and regurgitating, kids need to learn how to find and be a critical consumer of information,” says Murray. Fewer employers are asking for college transcripts—including Google—as they discover the disconnect between what students are taught and what innovative skills they actually need.

While most schools are slow to adapt to the modern needs of the future workforce, parents can proactively foster the entrepreneurial spirit and discourage a fear of failure at home by offering safe opportunities for risk-taking and independence. After speaking extensively with compelling young innovators around the world, Wagner discovered that their parents explicitly encouraged three things: play, passion and purpose.

Their children were provided with many opportunities to explore new interests, as well as to learn from their mistakes.

“The parents intuitively understood that more important than IQ is grit, perseverance and tenacity. You don’t develop that when Mom is yelling at you to practice; you develop it because you have a real interest.”

To create a culture of innovation, Murray encourages teachers and parents to get to know the interests, passions and strengths of today’s children “and prove to them every day that they matter.” When that interest blossoms into a passion, it can lead to a deeper sense of purpose and a desire to make a difference.

According to Wagner, this happens when parents and teachers instill one simple, but profound moral lesson, “We are not here on this Earth primarily and only to serve ourselves; we have some deep, profound obligation to give back and to serve others.”

PARENT RESOURCES

Common Sense Media (CommonSenseMedia.org) provides education and

advocacy to families to promote safe technology and media for children. They provide independent, age-based, media reviews for TV shows and movies. Each detailed review includes pertinent information for parents, plus talking points to foster critical thinking skills.

Let Grow (LetGrow.org) seeks to restore childhood resilience by pushing back on

overprotection, and shows concern that even with the best intentions, society has taught a generation to overestimate danger and underestimate their own ability to cope. Its programs work with schools and parents to give kids more of the independence to do the things their parents did on their own as children—bike to a friend’s house, make themselves a meal or simply play unsupervised in the front yard.

The Choose Love Movement (JesseLewisChooseLove.org) offers a free social and emotional learning program for educators and parents. Students learn how to choose love in any circumstance, which helps them become more connected, resilient and empowered individuals.

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In a culture that is obsessed with selfies and threatened by cyberbullies, it’s a tough task for parents to teach compassion and kindness. “We need to create an intentional family culture where virtues like kindness and respect are talked about, modeled, upheld, celebrated and practiced in everyday life. What we do over and over gradually shapes our character, until it becomes second

nature—part of who we are,” says Thomas Lickona, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist and education professor emeritus at the State University of New York College at Cortland, and author of How to Raise Kind Kids: And Get Respect, Gratitude, and a Happier Family in the Bargain.

Sesame Workshop’s 2016 Kindness Study found that 70 percent of parents worry that the world is an unkind place for their kids, but Scarlett Lewis

Olesya Kuznetsova/Shutterstock.com

Teaching Kindness

When you choose love, you transform how you see the world from a scary and anxietyproducing place to a loving and welcoming one. ~Scarlett Lewis believes it’s all in our mind, saying, “When you choose love, you transform how you see the world from a scary and anxiety-producing place to a loving and welcoming one.”

After losing her 6-year-old son Jesse in the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, she attributed the tragedy to an angry thought in the mind of the shooter. Her compassion fueled the founding of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement to educate and encourage individuals to choose loving thoughts over angry ones. “Although we can’t always choose what happens to us, we can always choose how to respond,” she says. The evidencebased Choose Love Enrichment Program teaches children to live a life with courage and gratitude, practice forgiveness and be compassionate individuals.

While we don’t want to overwhelm kids with all the evils in the world, Lickona notes that it is valuable to make them aware of human suffering and how we can help. “Cultivate the belief that we’re all members of a single human family. Teach [them] that one of the most important ways to show gratitude for the blessings in our life is to give back.”

Meredith Montgomery publishes Natural Awakenings of Gulf Coast Alabama/ Mississippi (HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com).

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community spotlight

Gentile Family Direct Primary Care

D

by Martin Miron

status, in an environment r. Natalie Gentile that fosters trust and reprovides comprespect in the doctor-patient hensive, tailored relationship.” care. Most primary care Her private life is doctors have thousands of congruent with her profespatients, but she limits her sional practice. “In my practice to fewer than 600. family, nutrition is of top This means more time for priority. What we put into each visit to coordinate care and research treatour bodies has a trickledown effect into every ments. Gentile Family other facet of our lives: Direct Primary Care does Dr. Natalie Gentile not bill any insurance our ability to care for our kids, our patients, our plans, so decisions about families, ourselves. As a family physician health care are not made by third-party payers. Instead, patients pay a monthly also board-certified in lifestyle medicine, nutrition is a main focus when it membership fee that can save money and comes to my day-to-day patient care. I covers excellent treatment. try to incorporate nutrition counseling to Gentile says, “I have always wanted some degree into most every patient visit to become a doctor for as far back as I can because what we eat affects our ability to remember. I chose family medicine after prevent, treat and even reverse disease, rotating with some phenomenal physiboth acute and chronic.” cians at the University of Pittsburgh who Gentile’s methodology may seem showed me how rewarding it is to provide unusual—in a good way. “Having longer care to all ages and stages of patients. After and more frequent visits allows me to work my residency training, I was on staff at the with patients on whatever realm of their Mayo Clinic for a couple of years and was life that requires a healthier re-boot. I help fortunate enough to train with and learn them identify where they think they could from brilliant docs in all specialties.”

She advises, “My mission is to provide make improvements, and I often hear from patients that they want to be on less medisafe, evidence-based care for patients of all cations. That is one of my favorite things ages, regardless of insurance or financial

to do: de-prescribe. I also strongly believe in frequent touch points that resonate with the patient, and this varies from person to person. It could be checking in by text, through an app, reviewing their food journals, etc. Having an accountability partner is integral to making long-term change for most people.”

Her goal is to partner with the community by integrating care with nutritionists, therapists, mental health professionals and specialists whenever appropriate to help patients thrive. Gentile’s father, a board-certified gynecologist with special interest in lifestyle medicine, will assist with more complicated gynecology cases and lifestyle medicine consults as needed.

She recalls, “Pittsburgh is home. I was born and raised here, went to college at St. Vincent, in Latrobe, and medical school at Pitt. So when we left for Minnesota for residency, I knew we would be back. Since moving back two months ago, I have had the opportunity to engage in the city by giving two talks about food as medicine and how to make sustainable lifestyle changes. I aim to consistently engage in my neighborhood and city through educational talks, volunteering, and living a healthy lifestyle by example.” She plans group visits in clinic for patients with diabetes, a workshop series about topics such as yoga and nutrition and taking patients on group grocery shopping visits.

Location: 5655 Bryant St., Highland Park, Pittsburgh. For appointments and more information, visit GentileFamilyDPC.com.

See Resource Guide listing, page 30.

If You Are Reading This, So Are Your Potential Customers.

Contact us today for special ad rates. 724-271-8877 August 2019

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healthy kids

Feeding Healthy Habits A 10-Step Guide for Helping Children Thrive

by Melinda Hemmelgarn

I Your Market is Our Readers.

Let Us Introduce You to Them!

t’s not easy raising children in today’s media-saturated landscape. From TV and video games to internet and mobile devices, our kids are exposed to a steady stream of persuasive marketing messages promoting low-nutrient junk foods. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association warn that media’s pervasive influence over children’s food preferences increase their risk for poor nutrition, obesity and chronic diseases later in life.

Protecting children against marketing forces may seem like an uphill battle, but these strategies can help provide a solid foundation for good health.

1 Contact us today to advertise in our next issue 724-271-8877 20

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Teach children to be media savvy. Andrea Curtis, Toronto-

based author of Eat This! How Fast-Food Marketing Gets You to Buy Junk (and how to fight back), says, “Kids don’t want to be duped.” By showing children how the food industry tricks them into buying foods that harm their bodies and the Earth, we can turn kids into food detectives that reject processed foods and sugary drinks.

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2

Feed children’s curiosity about where food comes from. Take

3

Introduce children to the rewards of gardening. Connie

children to farmers’ markets and U-pick farms; organic growers reduce exposure to harmful pesticide residues. Kids that might turn up their noses at supermarket spinach tend to eat it in bunches when they’ve helped grow, harvest and prepare it. That’s the story behind Sylvia’s Spinach, a children’s book by Seattle-based author Katherine Pryor.

Liakos, a registered dietitian based in Portland, Oregon, and the author of How to Teach Nutrition to Kids, recommends introducing children to the magic of planting seeds and the joy of caring for a garden—even if it’s simply a pot of herbs on a sunny windowsill or a small plot in a community garden.

4

Teach children how to cook.

Teresa Martin, a registered dietitian based in Bend, Oregon, says learning how to cook frees us from being “hostage to the food industry.” She believes cooking is such an essential life skill that we should be

Keep emotion out of eating, and allow children control over how much they eat. ~Connie Liakos teaching it along with reading, writing and arithmetic in kindergarten. When we cook, we’re in control of the ingredients’ quality and flavor. Plus, cooking together creates parent-child bonding.

Invite children to help plan and prepare family meals and school lunches. (Remember to slip a note inside a child’s lunch box with a few words of love and encouragement.)

5

Visit the library. From simple children’s stories about

food adventures to basic cookbooks, libraries open up a world of inspiration and culinary exploration. Find stories about seasonal foods to prepare with a child.

6

Prioritize family meals. Children that eat with their

families are better nourished, achieve greater academic success and are less likely to participate in risky behaviors. Family meals provide time to share values, teach manners and enjoy caring conversations. To foster peace and harmony at the table, Liakos advises families to “keep emotion out of eating, and allow children control over how much they eat.” Establish rules banning criticism, arguing and screens (TV, phones) during mealtime.

7

Reject dieting. Weighing, shaming and putting chil-

dren on restrictive diets is a recipe for developing eating disorders. Instead of stigmatizing children by calling them

“obese”, Liakos emphasizes creating healthy eating and activity habits for the entire family. Children may overeat for many reasons, including stress or boredom. Pay attention to sudden weight gain, which could be an indication that something is wrong, she says.

8

Find or create a “tribe” of like-minded parents.

Set up play groups with parents that share similar values.

Advocate together for improved school food policies, establish a school garden or plan group field trips.

9

Spend more time in nature. The American Academy

of Pediatrics recommends one hour of daily physical activity.

Locate parks and hiking or biking trails to strengthen children’s innate love for their natural world. According to research at the University of Illinois, spending time in nature also helps reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

10

Protect children’s sleep. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against TVs, computers and smartphones in children’s bedrooms. Children, depending on their age, need eight to12 hours of undisturbed sleep each night to support physical and mental health, and help prevent obesity.

Remember that our children are hungriest for parental time, love and support.

Melinda Hemmelgarn, the “Food Sleuth,” is an award-winning registered dietitian, writer, speaker and syndicated radio host based in Columbia, Missouri. Contact her at FoodSleuth@gmail.com.

Resources to Help Children Thrive Oksana Klymenko/Shutterstock.com

Center on Media and Child Health: cmch.tv/clinicians/eatingexercise-tips.

Common Sense Media: CommonSenseMedia.org.

Eat This! How Fast-Food Marketing Gets You to Buy Junk (and how to fight back), by Andrea Curtis: AndreaCurtis.ca.

Prevention Institute: Tinyurl.com/StopJunkFoodMarketing.

Nutrition

How to Teach Nutrition to Kids, Connie Liakos: NutritionForKids.com.

I’m Like, So Fat!: Helping Your Teen Make Healthy Choices about Eating and Exercise in a Weight-Obsessed World, by Dianne Neumark-Sztainer.

Gardening Activities

KidsGardening.org/garden-activities.

Media Literacy

American Academy of Pediatrics: A Healthy Family Media Use Plan: HealthyChildren.org/mediauseplan.

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood: Screen-free Activism: CommercialFreeChildhood.org.

Storybooks About Gardening, Cooking, Farms and Food

Review of farm-to-school children’s literature: Growing-Minds. org/childrens-literature.

Sylvia’s Spinach: KatherinePryor.com.

Nature Play

Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life, by Richard Louv: RichardLouv.com/books/vitamin-n.

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~Diana Martin

Beyond Sustainability

Regenerative Agriculture Takes Aim at Climate Change

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by Yvette C. Hammett

ost people have never heard of regenerative agriculture, but there’s plenty of talk about it in the scientific and farming communities, along with a growing consensus that regeneration is a desirable step beyond sustainability.

Those that are laser-focused on clean food and a better environment believe regenerative agriculture will not only result in healthier food, but could become a significant factor in reversing the dangerous effects of manmade climate change. This centers on the idea that healthy soils anchor a healthy planet: They contain more carbon than all above-ground vegetation and regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

“We have taken soils for granted for a long time. Nevertheless, soils are the foundation of food production and food security, supplying plants with nutrients, water and support for their roots,” according to the study “Status of the World’s Soil Resources,” by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.

Most of the world’s soil resources, which also function as the planet’s largest water filter, are in fair, poor or very poor condition, the report states.

Tilling, erosion and chemicals all play significant roles in soil degradation. Regenerative agriculture seeks to reverse that trend by focusing on inexpensive organic methods that minimize soil disturbance and feed its microbial diversity with the application of compost and compost teas. Cover crops, crop and livestock rotation and multistory agroforestry are all part of a whole-farm design that’s intended to rebuild the quantity and quality of topsoil, as well as increase biodiversity and watershed function.

“True regenerative organic agriculture can improve the environment, the communities, the economy, even the human spirit,” says Diana Martin, director of communications for the Rodale Institute, in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Rodale, a leader in the organic movement, has been carrying the global torch for 22

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regenerative agriculture since the 1970s, when Bob Rodale, son of the institute’s founder, first began talking about it. “He said sustainability isn’t good enough. In the U.S., we are depleting our topsoil 10 times faster than we are replenishing it. We only have 60 years of farmable topsoil remaining,” says Martin.

The institute is working with corporate brands in conducting a pilot project on farms around the world to certify food as regenerative organic. It has three pillars that were created with the help of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program: soil health; animal welfare; and social justice, the latter because people want to know that workers are being treated fairly, Martin says.

“In some ways, we felt the organic program could do more, so we introduced the regenerative organic certification. It is a new, high-bar label that is very holistic,” says Jeff Moyer, an expert in organic agriculture and the executive director at the Rodale Institute. The pilot phase involves 21 farms with connections to big brands like Patagonia, Lotus Foods and Dr. Bronner’s. “We needed relationships with brands to make this a reality,” Moyer says. Product should be rolling out by this fall.

“There’s kind of a broad umbrella of things going on,” says Bruce Branham, a crop sciences professor with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “No-till farming certainly is a small step toward regenerative ag, because every time we till the soil, we essentially expose a lot of the carbon dioxide, which burns off carbon.”

Cover crops can be planted right after harvesting a cash crop to help regenerate the soil, adding nitrogen and organic matter, he says. “It is a long-term benefit, so a lot of farmers are hesitant.

It takes a while to improve soil fertility through cover crop use.”

It doesn’t cost much, but for a corn or soybean farmer making almost no money right now, every expense matters. “The real things we are working on are more toward different cropping systems,” he says, in which farmers are growing perennial tree crops that produce nuts and fruits, absorb carbon and don’t require replanting or tilling.

There’s considerable interest in regenerative organic agriculture in Idaho, as many farmers there have already adopted no-till practices, says Sanford Eigenbrode, a professor at the University of Idaho, who specializes in entomology, plant pathology and nematology. Farmers want to try to improve retention of soil carbon to both stabilize soils and improve long-term productivity, he says.

“There are economic and environmental advantages.”

Yvette C. Hammett is an environmental writer based in Valrico, Florida. She can be contacted at YvetteHammett28@hotmail.com.

igorstevanovic/Shutterstock.com

In the U.S., we are depleting our topsoil 10 times faster than we are replenishing it. We only have 60 years of farmable topsoil remaining.

green living

healing ways

Music bypasses the language and intellectual barriers in the brain that can prevent healing.

Jozef Klopacka/Shutterstock.com

~Sheila Wall

HEALING

HARMONIES Music As Medicine

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by Marlaina Donato

rom ancient Mongolian shamans that used drumming for physical and emotional healing to modern, board-certified music therapists that work with special needs kids, science now confirms what we’ve always known: Music makes us feel better.

Decades after Don Campbell’s groundbreaking work about the cognitive effects of listening to the music of Mozart, growing research reveals music’s ability to reduce chronic and acute pain, restore brain connections after a stroke, boost immunity and promote brain development in children. Recent studies of the benefits of music published in BJPsych International show decreased depression in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders and improvement in people with certain types of epilepsy.

Neurochemistry and Pain Reduction

Listening to music we find pleasurable can have an analgesic effect on the body, and researchers theorize that the brain releases a cascade of natural opioids, including dopamine. A pilot study on cancer patients published in the Indian Journal of Palliative Care in 2016 shows a significant reduction of pain when individuals are exposed to music for 20-minute intervals.

Music also minimizes chronic pain associated with syndromes like fibromyalgia. Collective studies published in Frontiers of Psychology in 2014 suggest that relaxing, preferred choices of music not only reduce fibromyalgia-related pain, but also significantly improve mobility.

Dementia, Stroke and Brain Development

Board-certified music therapists like Sheila Wall use live and recorded music to catalyze therapeutic changes in their clients. In her Eau Claire, Wisconsin, practice, Wall works with a wide range of clients ranging in age from 3 to 104. “Music bypasses the language

and intellectual barriers in the brain that can prevent healing. Music helps the brain compensate for whatever damage that has occurred through illnesses, disease or trauma,” she says. “I also work with children to help them build language and motor skills through music.

Research last year by the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles has shown that music training strengthens areas of the brain that govern speech, reading skills and sound perception in children. The results, published in Cerebral Cortex, indicate that only two years of music study significantly changes both the white and gray matter of the brain.

Kirk Moore, in Wheaton, Illinois, is a certified music practitioner who provides live therapeutic music for people that are sick or dying. He says he sees daily changes through music. “I see heart rates slow down and blood pressure reduced. Breathing becomes steadier; pain and nausea cease.” Moore has also witnessed patients with aphasia—a language impairment caused by stroke or other brain damage—spontaneously sing-along to songs and regain the ability to speak. One memorable patient could only utter a single word, but listening to Moore ignited a dramatic change. “I sang ‘You Are My Sunshine’ and within seconds, she was singing. After 20 minutes of music, I expressed to the patient my hopes that the music had been helpful to her. ‘Oh goodness, yes!’ she responded.”

Pick Up a Drum

Drumming has been proven to be able to balance the hemispheres of the brain, bolster immunity and offer lasting physical and emotional benefits for conditions ranging from asthma to Parkinson’s disease, autism and addiction recovery.

Medical research led by neurologist Barry Bittman, M.D., shows that participation in drumming circles helps to amp up natural killer cells that fight cancer and viruses such as AIDS. Recent research published in PLOS/ONE reveals a profound reduction of inflammation in people that took part in 90-minute drum circles during the course of the 10-week study.

Music and End of Life

Music’s capacity to bring healing and solace also extends to the end of life. Classically trained musician and certified music practitioner Lloyd Goldstein knows firsthand the power of providing music for cancer patients and the terminally ill. “I feel a deep responsibility to be as present as I can possibly be, to what I’m doing, the people I’m playing for,” says Goldstein, who left a secure orchestra position to join the team at The Arts In Medicine Program at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. “It’s taught me how to be a better musician and a better person.”

As much as the musician gives, music gives back. “I end up calmer than when I begin a session. That healing environment travels with me,” Moore says.

Marlaina Donato is a composer and the author of several books.

Connect at AutumnEmbersMusic.com.

August 2019

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natural pet

Ljupco Smokovski/Shutterstock.com

VET CHECK Treating the Whole Pet

by Julie Peterson

A

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bout 10 years ago, Kim Krouth’s dog, Buckeye, was suffering from severe allergy symptoms. The mixed-breed shepherd was licking and biting her paws until her toe pads were bleeding. “Our conventional vet prescribed steroids,” recalls Krouth. “It helped some, but also agitated Buckeye. When I found out that other side effects could include serious health problems, I didn’t want to put her at risk.”

The Madison, Wisconsin, animal lover headed to a holistic pet supply store to ask about alternative treatments for the dog’s allergies. She learned about herbal remedies, and was advised to take Buckeye to a holistic veterinarian. “Treating her holistically seemed like a better option than the side effects of treatment with drugs,” she says.

The holistic veterinarian recommended acupuncture. It helped, but the dog later became sensitive to the needles.

At that point, she was given homeopathic plant-based treatments that worked well with no side effects. Buckeye, now 15, has also received laser light therapy and spinal manipulation to help with mobility in her senior years.

The Holistic Difference

Holistic veterinarians have been treating dogs, cats, chickens, livestock and exotic animals across the nation for some time, but many people aren’t entirely clear about how their approach—and their training— differs from a conventional vet. Both enter the profession after earning a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degree.

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Holistic practitioners can then choose to train in a variety of modalities, including acupuncture, herbs and physical rehabilitation, plus trigger point, megavitamin and stem cell therapies.

“Any method that is sufficiently different from conventional medicine requires extra training ... over a period of weeks, months or years,” says Nancy Scanlan, DVM, the executive director of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Foundation, in Mount Shasta, California.

Veterinarians, holistic or not, typically do the same initial examination of an animal, she says. From there, a holistic vet may look at additional areas or assess things in a slightly different way. “For example, someone trained in veterinary osteopathy or veterinary chiropractic would explore the range of motion of joints or the spine.”

In treatment, holistic DVMs use an integrative approach. The goal is to look at the animal as a whole and treat the underlying condition, rather than treating the symptoms. “Integrative medicine is about broadening our medical options, blending both conventional medical and holistic approaches. It focuses on client education and participation in the healing process of their pet,” says Danielle Becton, DVM, of Aloha Pet & Bird Hospital, in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida.

Africa Studio/Shutterstock.com

Integrative medicine is about broadening our medical options, blending both conventional medical and holistic approaches.

It focuses on client education and participation in the healing process of their pet. ~Danielle Becton, DVM Holistic veterinarians may also choose to use fewer conventional drugs and limited vaccinations. “Vaccine titers can be used to determine if a patient has adequate antibodies to a disease to create immunity,” says Becton. “If a pet is already immune, they may not need another vaccine booster that year.”

Becton and Scanlan agree that alternative treatments such as acupuncture, laser therapy or massage can be used in lieu of drugs for pain management. However, Scanlan does note that in an acute or emergency situation, many natural methods do not work fast enough, “and that is when holistic veterinarians are more likely to use drugs.”

Choosing a Holistic Veterinarian

Pet owners seek out holistic veterinarians for different reasons. In Krouth’s case, it was the unacceptable side effects to drugs that led her to explore other options. Becton points out that she gets clients looking for a more natural approach for their pets after they personally have had success with human integrative medicine.

However, it’s important that pets are treated by professionals that are trained to treat animals. People with holistic training for humans may not understand animal anatomy or physiology.

Ultimately, choosing a veterinarian is a personal decision, and seeing a beloved pet thrive is the best confirmation that it was the right one. “We are so glad that we still have Buckeye at this golden age, and believe it’s due to holistic care that she has lived a comfortable, long life,” says Krouth.

Julie Peterson lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband, dogs and chickens. She has contributed to Natural Awakenings for more than a decade. Contact her at JPtrsn22@att.net.

I

FINDING THE BEST VET

n some areas, holistic veterinary care is so popular that appointments are hard to come by. In others, there are few veterinarians practicing alternative medicine.

Ask Around

One way to find a veterinarian that has expanded beyond the confines of Western medicine is to ask other pet owners.

Employees at pet food or supply stores will often have recommendations, as well.

Search online or use the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association’s “Find a Holistic Veterinarian” search feature at ahvma.org/find-a-holistic-veterinarian.

Get Details

If there are several doctors to choose from, read their websites to find out the nature of initial consultations, available treatments and associated fees. Read patient reviews there and look for some that aren’t on their site. Consider stopping in to see how the practice looks and feels.

First Appointment

Once an appointment is made, know what’s needed to make the most of it. Most veterinarians want historical records and intake forms filled out in advance. Be prepared to pay for services during that first visit. Because holistic care is personalized to deal with underlying causes instead

of symptoms, be ready to spend more time talking about the pet.

Going Forward

No matter which veterinarian is chosen, expect reasonable outcomes. Pets should be comfortable at the appointment and owners should feel they are heard. Care and cost of care should make sense. Follow-up calls from the office to check on treatment progress show that the interest in clients goes beyond the appointment. Reminder calls, emails or postcards about upcoming appointments or recommended services convey that the practice is organized and has a long-term interest in animal health.

KICK OFF SUMMER WITH A MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP

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TRY FOR FREE! MEET YOUR CONSCIOUS PARTNER HERE! August 2019

25

4 drops of patchouli (sub sandalwood) 4 drops of orange 2 drops of ylang ylang (sub jasmine or rose) 1 drop of bergamot

therapy spotlight

Homework Time

Homework time is always so frustrating. Kids have been at school all day and need some downtime, but there is also homework to be done. Get out the diffuser and try this blend to help students get through that evening homework session.

Aromatherapy for Back-to-School

by Melissa Robb

I

t’s never too early to start thinking about getting the kids ready to start the upcoming school year right. Being prepared is the first step to building a solid foundation for a successful year. When the transition from summer time to school time is smooth, everything kind of just falls into place.

Choosing the best oils for children and their individual needs is the first step. Here are four aromatherapy blends designed to combat the different struggles related to school, whether dealing with morning monsters, afternoon anxiety or end-of-day exhaustion.

Morning

Getting up early in the morning is probably the worst part about going back to school. Kick off every day on the right foot with a solid morning blend in the diffuser.

This combo of oils is invigorating, boosts the immune system, and helps get a child’s brain awake. If a child comes to the breakfast looking all groggy, help them perk up with essential oil blend.

4 drops of petitgrain 3 drops of cypress (sub fir needle) 2 drops of eucalyptus

Afternoon Anxiety

This blend of oils is wonderful to combat stress, anxiety and grumpiness. Patchouli is very grounding, orange is uplifting and happy, ylang ylang is great at dispelling the grumps, and bergamot is warm and calming. Keep this blend handy in a roller bottle and use it as a perfume on more difficult days. It’s also a great blend to put into a personal inhaler for a favorite student to help them at school.

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

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

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

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4 drops of rosemary 3 drops of remon 2 drops of grapefruit 2 drops of peppermint (sub spearmint) 1 drop of lavender

Bedtime Routine

With a new academic year ahead of them, it is natural for children to feel fidgety and anxious. Establish a calming environment for them with a blend of essential oils that calm and relax the body and mind, which will help them wind down and get some restful sleep. We may want to try a bedtime bath routine. Combine six drops of this blend, a cup of Epsom or sea salt, and one teaspoon of castile soap. Mix thoroughly and add it to warm bath water. When children sleep well, they are better prepared to face the day ahead.

3 drops of lavender 2 drops of frankincense 2 drops of Roman chamomile 2 drops of orange oil

Back-to-school can be a time of stress and uncertainty, but essential oils may help to ease children back into the school routine and offer support throughout the school year. Remember that Mom and Dad can use essential oils, too.

Melissa Robb, BSW, JD, CA, RPII, a certified aromatherapist and reiki practitioner, is the owner of Well Oiled, located at 1414 Potomac Ave., in Dormont,. For more information, call 412-531-6457 or visit GetWellOiled.com. See Resource Guide listing, page 30.

calendar of events

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11

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.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2 Mindful Beauty and Wellness Collaboration – 6-8pm. Mind, body and soul workshop led by professional make-up artist, esthetician and actress Danielle Mock. A playful approach to body acceptance through new thought patterns with open conversation and activities, power of thought and color theory. Green Heiress Holistic Health, 209 Commercial Ave, Pittsburgh. 412-632-4013. Info@ GreenHeiressHolisticHealth.com.

MONDAY, AUGUST 12 All Levels Yoga – 6:15-7:15pm. Beginners welcome. Surrender on the mat! Learn the basics of focusing on your breath, beginner poses, and simply enjoying the moment. $12. Youghiogheny Holistic Living Center, 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville.

724-707-4338.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 13

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3 Plant Pursuit: Medicinal Plants of the Wild – 3-4pm. Hosted by Allegheny Land Trust. Jen Dalke of Blue Heron Nature Skills leads this hike on medicinal plants that might be growing in your backyard. Learn to identify and use local plants that help with coughs, sore throats, joint pain and more.

Rain or shine. $5 plus $1.77 fee. Linbrook Woodlands Conservation Area, 2532 Hopkins Church Rd, Sewickley. Allegheny Land Trust: 412-741-2750.

A.M. Meditation for Beginners – 8-9am. Owner Emily will lead a beginner’s-style restorative meditation with guided breathing and grounding techniques to practice at home and an affirmation to focus on. Donation. Youghiogheny Holistic Living Center, 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville. 724-707-4338.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 6 Yoga: Moving Slow with Faith – 9-10am. Join Faith for a lovely morning session filled with slow intentional movement, meditation and journaling.

All levels. $12. Youghiogheny Holistic Living Center, 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville. 724-707-4338.

Psychic Readings – Noon-8pm. Tarot Reader and Psychic Medium Molly DiBattisto is able to “tune in” to people and spent years studying and honing her gifts. Adults only. Entertainment purposes only. $40. Well Oiled, 1414 Potomac Ave, Dormont. 412531-6457. Register: GetWellOiled.com.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7 Seedlings: Mindfulness for Kids – 6:15-7:15pm.

Workshop for children 12 months to 13 years old and their parents. Three, kid-friendly, outdoor activities by age group, engaging parents and children in incorporating mindfulness into daily life. $5 minimum donation. Youghiogheny Holistic Living Center, 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville. 724-707-4338.

RSVP: SaraRemington13@gmail.com.

Plant Centered Eating – 7-8pm. Workshop designed for beginners. Certified Holistic Health and Lifestyle Coach Sarah Kaminski will outline basic principles of plant-based diets and how it can increase energy, optimize digestion, clear brain fog, help reach goal weight. Free. East End Coop, 7516 Meade St, Pittsburgh. 412-242-3598. Register: EastEndFood.coop.

Let That Sh*t Go – 4-6pm. Beginner meditation for adults. No ridiculous positions that make your feet numb, no weird hand positions or awkward chanting. Come as you are and learn to deal with all that you already have to deal with in a better, more productive and healthy way. Well Oiled, 1414 Potomac Ave, Dormont. 412-531-6457. Register: GetWellOiled.com.

Attendees may add gemstones and woodland critters. $15. Well Oiled, 1414 Potomac Ave, Dormont.

412-531-6457. Register: GetWellOiled.com.

Camp Cooking Basics – 6:30-8pm Experts from 3 Rivers Outdoor Co share tips and tricks to prepare for camp side cooking and zero-waste camping trips.

Learn what equipment you need and get ideas for yummy, healthy, and easy camping and backpacking meals. Free. East End Coop, 7516 Meade St, Pittsburgh. 412-242-3598. EastEndFood.coop.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14

I Am Love Meditation – 10am. Guided by Lisa Nickelson and Emily Richter. Hosted by Youghiogheny Holistic Living and Richter Massage & Wellness. A meditation series for young women 12-to-18. Finding your way in today’s crazy world can seem impossible; explore mindfulness, meditation, journaling and positive affirmations.

Donation based. All that is required is an open heart and an open mind. 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville.

724-707-4338.

Tai Chi – Moving Meditation in the Salt Cave – 6pm. Instructor Lesa Vivio, founder of Sacred.

Centered. You., is specially trained in vibrational sound healing, mindfulness, hyphotherapy tai chi, and qigong. A moving meditation experience to find harmony between heaven, Earth and self. Suitable for all ages and skill levels. Arrive 15 minutes early. $45/ person. Salt of the Earth, 504 Valley Brook Rd, McMurray. 724-260-0472. SaltOfTheEarthPGH.com.

Outdoor Reiki Clinic for Cats and Dogs – 11am.

In-house Reiki Practitioner Justine Wandel uses safe and natural methods to help animals cope with anxiety, pain or past traumas. Clinic will be outdoors under a tent, weather permitting. Owners must be present and have full control of their animals, on leash. Walk-up service. $1/minute (cash only). No appointment necessary. Youghiogheny Holistic Living, 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville. 724-707-4338.

Therapy Tarot – Noon-7pm. With Joseph. Reach into the here and now, dig into your subconscious as Joseph lays out what you need to get on your best path. $65. Well Oiled, 1414 Potomac Ave, Dormont.

412-531-6457. Register: GetWellOiled.com.

Seedlings: Mindfulness for Kids – 6:15-7:15pm.

See August 7 listing. $5 minimum donation.

Youghiogheny Holistic Living Center, 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville. 724-707-4338. RSVP: SaraRemington13@gmail.com.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 15 Clay with Me! DIY Clay Diffuser Necklace Make and Take – Noon-7pm. Certified Aromatherapist Melissa Robb will walk you through the process of making your own clay aromatherapy diffuser. All the ingredients are provided, plus take your diffuser home, along with a sample of essential oils. $15.

Well Oiled, 1414 Potomac Ave, Dormont. 412-5316457. Register: GetWellOiled.com.

I only ask to be free.

The butterflies are free. ~Charles Dickens

THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 Terrarium Workshop – Noon-7pm. All ages.

Experience and explore “gardening in a glass.” Container, pebbles, sand, wood and air plant provided.

August 2019

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Tarot Throwdown in Uniontown – 1-3pm. Hosted

by Tarot and Stars. Donations accepted. Panera Bread, 105 Mathew Dr, Uniontown, PA. 813-3122292. TarotAndStars@gmail.com. Facebook.com/ events/326592791388071/.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 A.M. Meditation for Beginners – 8-9am. Owner Emily will lead a beginner’s-style restorative meditation with guided breathing and grounding techniques to practice at home and an affirmation to focus on. Donation. Youghiogheny Holistic Living Center, 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville. 724-707-4338.

Fungus Among Us – 9am-noon. Hosted by Allegheny Land Trust (ALT). Want to know what that mushroom growing on a log is? Join experts from the Western PA Mushroom Club at the Catfish Pond entrance to Dead Man’s Hollow to learn about fungus species. Good hiking shoes and a camera are suggested. Collected specimens are for educational purposes only, not to be harvested as food. Rain or shine. $5 plus $1.77 fee. Dead Man’s Hollow, Sceneridge Rd., McKeesport. 412-741-2750.

Learn about non-chemical controls such as floating row covers, planting times and resistant varieties, and about proper use of organic chemical controls like insecticidal soap. Members/free, $10/non-members. Braddock Farms, 1000 Braddock Ave. Info: 412-362-4769, ext 204. Denele@GrowPittsburgh. org. GrowPittsburgh.org.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24

Yoga – Moving Slow with Faith – 9-10am. See August 4 listing. Youghiogheny Holistic Living Center, 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville. 724-707-4338.

Salty Core Pilates – 6pm. Enjoy gentle mat Pilates and the therapeutic benefits of Himalayan salt with Christin Lukondi of Valley Brook Pilates. Focus on precision, stretching and deep diaphragmatic breathing combined with salt air to cleanse your respiratory system to better connect you to your core. $45/person.

Salt of the Earth, 504 Valley Brook Rd, McMurray.

724-260-0472. SaltOfTheEarthPGH.com.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22 Garden Pest Identification Workshop – 6-7:30pm.

Hosted by Grow Pittsburgh with Sandy Feather, Penn State Extension. Interactive pest ID walk through the Braddock Farms community garden.

Mountain Spirit Pow Wow 2019 – Aug 24-25.

10am-5pm. Sponsored by Native American Community Center. Celebrate Native American art and culture; dancing, drumming, singing, storytelling.

Free mobile museum. Raptor Rehab Exhibit, Observation Honeybee Hive, crafts, jewelry, clothing.

Native American Fry Bread, buffalo burgers, food and drink for sale. Bring a lawn chair. Admission: $5, children under 5 free with adult paid admission.

Sunday auction at 2:30pm. No sacred items sold.

The Mason-Dixon Historical Park, 79 Buckeye Rd, Dore, WV. Phyllis Bruce: 681-209-0429.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 Mountain Spirit Pow Wow 2019 – 10am-5pm. See Aug 24 listing. The Mason-Dixon Historical Park, 79 Buckeye Rd, Dore, WV. Phyllis Bruce: 681-209-0429.

Metaphysical Meet and Greet – 4pm. Monthly casual, friendly, welcoming event. Great opportunity to surround yourself with like-minded friends!

The shop will be closed. Bring food to share and join for a couple of hours of discussion. Free. Well Oiled, 1414 Potomac Ave, Dormont. 412-531-6457.

Register: GetWellOiled.com.

MONDAY, AUGUST 26 All Levels Yoga – 6:15-7:15pm. See August 12 listing. Youghiogheny Holistic Living Center, 144 N 3rd St, Connellsville. 724-707-4338.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28 Happy Hour Salt Cave Crystal Bowl Sound Bath Meditation – 6:30-7:30pm. Sound healer and chakra educator Brooke Smokelin will take attendees on a musical meditation journey with quartz crystal singing bowls into a realm of pure vibration.

Every cell of you and the water within you will vibrate and come into peaceful resonance. $55/person.

Salt of the Earth. 504 Valley Brook Rd, McMurray.

724-260-0472. SaltOfTheEarthPGH.com.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29 Garden Get Down – 5-8pm. Celebrating 10 years of Grow Pittsburgh’s Community Garden Program and more than 100 gardens, more than 2,000 individuals and more than 300,000 pounds of food grown. Enjoy craft beers from Grist House and a taste of summer by Sprezzatura Catering. Guided tour of Garden of Millvale established by Grow Pittsburgh a decade ago.

Sliding-scale fundraiser benefits Grow Pittsburgh.

All ages welcome, children to be accompanied. On street parking. Grist House Craft Brewery, 10 E Sherman St, Pittsburgh. Info: 412-362-4769, ext 204 or Denele@GrowPittsburgh.org. GrowPittsburgh.org.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30 Labor Day Sidewalk Cookout – Get fresh scratchmade lunch during their Labor Day Sidewalk cookout and shop storewide for 10% off all regular price merchandise. Sunny Bridge Natural Foods & Café, 130 Gallery Dr, McMurray. 724-942-5800.

SunnyBridgeNaturalFoods.com.

Take 10 Day – 10% off storewide on all regular price merchandise. Sunny Bridge Natural Foods and Café, 130 Gallery Dr, McMurray. 724-942-5800.

SunnyBridgeNaturalFoods.com.

Nova Luna Intention Setting Workshop –7-9pm.

Create powerful intentions to manifest dreams written in our hearts. How do the cycles of the moon affect us and how we can use that knowledge to become our best selves? Touch on herbs, essential oils, meditation, crystals, gemstones and spiritual helpers as tools for our journey. Bring journal. $15/month. Register: 724-984-3926 or DremariHolisticWellness.net.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31 WV Botanical Gardens Butterflies and Pollinators Workshop – 10am-noon. Join Dave Davis, PhD, groundskeeper of the WVBG at our new pollinator garden. Learn about native butterflies and pollinators and their host plants. Take home pollinator-friendly plants. All ages. Members/free, $15/nonmembers.

WVBG Education Center, 1601 Tyrone Rd, Morgantown, WV. Register: WVBG.org/programs/events.

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ongoing events

classifieds

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.

tuesday Taco Tuesdays – Thru Nov 19. 9am. Treat yourself to three, gluten-free, corn tortilla tacos for $10.

From our dedicated gluten-free café made fresh by Chef David. Four options: Logan Farms ground beef, Cilantro Lime Logan Farms steak, local chicken breast, or enchilada-style veggies. Fresh house-made toppings. Sunny Bridge Natural Foods and Café, 130 Gallery Dr, McMurray, 724-9425800. SunnyBridgeNaturalFoods.com.

Lawrenceville Farmers’ Market – 4pm. 34 regional farmers and vendors offering organic and natural produce, local eats, bread, cheese, baked goods, wine, honey, jams, coffee and tea, soaps, candles, plus live music and more. Arsenal Park, 250 40th St, Pittsburgh. 412-802-7220.

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.

wednesday 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.

thursday Sunny Bridge Natural Foods and Café Upper St. Clair Rotary Club Farmer’s Market – Thru Sept 26. 4-7pm. Hosted by Sunny Bridge Natural Foods. Scratch-made and freshly prepared rotating menu of always gluten- and peanut-free fair food focusing on plant based and keto offerings. Westminster Presbyterian Church, south parking lot at 2040 Washington Rd.412-835-6630.

Introduction to Herbal Medicine – 6:30pm. With Cutting Root Farm and Apothecary. Plant identification and cultivation tips, harvesting and uses of medicinal plants. $10 donation. Sterrett Middle School Medicinal Herb Garden, 7100 Reynolds St, Pittsburgh. Facebook.com/CuttingRootFarm.

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.

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/

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

class, $50/series for members, $65/nonmembers.

West Virginia Botanic Garden, 1061 Tyrone Rd, Morgantown, WV. 304-322-2093. Register: wvbg. org/programs/events/.

Sunny Bridge Natural Foods and Café Friday Sidewalk Cookout – Thru Aug 23. Noon-2pm.

Join for summer cookouts featuring Logan’s Family Farm local meats and plant-based offerings with seasonal sides. Hosted by Sunny Bridge Natural Foods to benefit local causes. 130 Gallery Dr, McMurray.

724-942-5800. SunnyBridgeNaturalFoods.com.

Monongahela Farmers’ Market – Thru Sept 27. 3-6pm. Shop local and know where your food comes from. Near Chaney’s Natural and the DonoraMonongahela Lion’s Club, Chess Park, 721 Main St, Monongahela. Vendors/sponsors: 724-328-2834 or ChaneysAdmin@gmail.com. Facebook page: Monongahela Farmers Market.

Nova Luna Intention-Setting Workshop Series – 7-8:30pm. Learn steps to creating powerful intentions to manifest the dreams written within our hearts.

Understand cycles of the moon, and touch herbs, essential oils, mediation, crystals and spiritual helpers to become our best selves. $25/intro session, $15/ follow-up sessions. The Phoenix Arts Center, 13 Pittsburgh St, Uniontown. Bring a journal. RSVP: 724984-3926 or DremariHolisticWellness.net/events.

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. Up to $200 per month gas reimbursement per month for full-time; $100 per month for part-time. 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.

saturday Morgantown Farmers’ Market – 8:30am-noon.

All products sold are grown or produced within 50 miles; veggies and fruits, meats, eggs, baked foods, seedlings, herbs, flowers, dried beans, flours, maple syrup, cheese and more. 415 Spruce St, Morgantown, W Virginia.

Swissvale Farmer’s Market – 9am-1pm. Locally grown produce, baked goods, prepared foods, handmade crafts and gift items. Jodikinos Farms, Hawk & Hen Gardens, Catchfly Gardens, Pitaland, Great Harvest Bread, Park Street Treats, Cobbler World, Just Harvest, Knitting by Pam and Donna, Meem’s Knits and Sky Blue Sky Studio. 2036 Noble St, Swissvale. SwissvaleFarmersMarket@gmail.com.

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.

Bedner’s Monthly Weed Walks – 2-3pm. With Jen D of Southwest PA Wild Edible and Medicinal Plant Group. No walk during extreme weather.

Donation. Meet at big round table in front of Bedner’s Farm and Greenhouse, 315 Coleman Rd, McDonald. Must RSVP 48 hours in advance: BlueHeronNatureSkills@gmail.com.

Pets are humanizing.

They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life. ~James Cromwell August 2019

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community resource guide

HAMPTON HOLISTIC CENTER

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.

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 4.

CHIROPRACTIC PITTSBURGH UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC

David Radziercz, DC, Co-Director 8110 Ohio River Blvd, Pittsburgh 412-766-0321 Info@PittsburghUpperCervical.com PittsburghUpperCervical.com

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. Specializing in intensive therapeutic lifestyle counseling.

Rebekah Delling, LMT, MFA 1019 Perry Hwy, Ross Twp • 412-847-8361 4284 William Flynn Hwy, Ste 308, Hampton • 412-486-1829 Rebekah@Hampton-Holistics.com The Hampton Holistic Center has a welcoming, judgement-free philosophy. We specialize in holistic sleep and wellness options through therapeutic, Eastern and sleep massage. We also provide sleep consulting, reiki, Ayurveda and functional medicine at our Ross location. See ad, back cover.

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 4.

HEALTH FOOD SUNNY BRIDGE NATURAL FOODS & CAFÉ

Peters Town Center, 130 Gallery Dr McMurray • 724-942-5800 SunnyBridgeNaturalFoods.com Local, natural, organic and fresh groceries, eco-friendly home and beauty products, plus offering a well-maintained and dedicated peanut and glutenfree café and bakery. See ad, page 15.

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.

METAPHYSICAL SERVICES ARIA SPARROWSONG’S TAROT AND STARS TarotAndStars.com 813-312-2292

Aria Sparrowsong has been reading tarot and casting astrological charts for more than 45 years. She is a tarot and astrology scholar and reads oracle cards, tea leaves, reads cast runes, and does house blessings. She is available for private readings, classes, parties, events, rites of passage and ceremonies.

PREGNANCY MASSAGE SANDRA J. CAMPBELL, LMT, CHC 4436 Hemlock Dr, Allison Park 412-588-5464 ExhaleInWellness.com

Exhale is a place that allows you to breathe. A dream come true for expectant mothers.

Relax in their spacious spa room to be pampered and cared for.

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.

The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence. ~Denis Waitley 30

Pittsburgh, PA

NaturalAwakeningsSWPA.com

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 18.

SEPTEMBER

Age-Defying Bodywork plus: Yoga Therapy

VIBRANT AT ANY AGE ISSUE

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.

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.

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.

Readers are Seeking These Providers & Services:

Natural Health Care Practitioners • Functional Medicine Re-purposing/Life Coaches • Wellness Trainers General, Advanced & Sports Chiropractors • Activity & Exercise Facilities Yoga Classes • Yoga Events ... and this is just a partial list!

BETTER SLEEP ISSUE

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

Oral Health

Natural Sleep Solutions

plus: Chiropractic Care

plus: Optimal Thyroid Function

CONNECT WITH OUR READERS

THREE-MONTH EDITORIAL CALENDAR & MARKETING PLANNER

Contact us to learn about marketing opportunities and become a member of the Natural Awakenings community at:

724-271-8877 August 2019

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