SWFL’s Resource for Essential Living
Sitting Is the New Smoking: Discover the Breakthrough Therapy for Pain Relief
Theresa Edmunds, CHC
SWFL’s Top Holistic Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy, and Coaching
Your Back Wants to Heal
Lisa Sprague, MSS, PTA, LMT
Treatments for Brain Fog, Fatigue, Healthy Aging, and Immunity
Lori Hubbard, MA
The Biological Dentist: A Revolutionary Style of Dentistry
Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD
How Old Would You Be If You Didn’t Know How Old You Are?
Dr. Jake Berman, PT, DPT
Ozone Therapy is highly e ective for chronic conditions by improving blood circulation and oxygen delivery:
• Energy Rejuvenation
• Reducing In ammation
• Pain Management
• Boosting Immune Support
Why The DripBar is di erent than other IV Infusion Clinics:
Drip Specialists are RNs, and backed by a Medical Director. Treatments free of chemical and microbial contaminants. Compounding is done on-site and in a sterile environment to prevent clients from contamination.
Fallis here, and it’s time for everything pumpkin, apples, cider, and spices! Even here in SWFL, where it’s still wonderfully warm and sunny, I love all the fall flavors and scents. And the Halloween (my favorite holiday) decorations down here can absolutely rival some of the best I’ve seen in New England!
This issue, we have a great Spotlight on SWFL’s Top Holistic Psychotherapists, Hypnotherapists, and Coaches. Did you know sitting is the new smoking? Check out our feature article on the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle. We’re also focusing on IV therapy for immune support and longevity, as well as light therapy and stress reduction. Considering stress is a significant factor in why we get sick, there are some great tips and insights on this issue to help you heal your body and stay healthy this winter. Since I’ve been doing more meditation, I’ve found that one of the ways to stay healthy is to focus daily on what I’m grateful for – and with Thanksgiving around the corner, it couldn’t be a more appropriate time.
"Whether you believe in the law of attraction or not, the act of practicing gratitude makes us better people."
—Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD
Practicing gratitude is a fundamental component of the law of attraction and learning how to manifest and create your ideal life. The theory is that to bring what you want into your life, you must be grateful for what you already have. And you have to give thanks for what you receive in the future. This enables a constant flow of positive energy to and from your life. If you are not thankful for what you receive, it will block the flow, and you will have a difficult time attracting what you want.
Whether you believe in the law of attraction or not, the act of practicing gratitude makes us better people. Take a minute to see how you feel after the next time you thank someone for something. Doesn’t it give you a nice, warm feeling? And check in with how you feel after you should have said thank you for something and didn’t? Not as nice a feeling, right?
Think of all the opportunities you have to show gratitude every day:
• You can thank your spouse for getting up early with the kids so you can sleep in.
• You can thank your kids for cleaning up their room.
• You can show gratitude to your assistant for helping you run a successful business every day.
• You can thank the server who waits on you at dinner.
• You can show gratitude to the person who bags your groceries at the market.
Practicing the fine art of gratitude is not only one of our most important positive emotions, but also one that directly links to physical and mental well-being. There is a special kind of magic in gratitude, for it raises our consciousness, boosts our energy, and enhances our self-worth.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Dr.
Diane Hayden, PhD Publisher & Owner, ELM Publishing
Vol. 6, Issue 2
Essential Naples is a quarterly lifestyle publication in SWFL for health-minded locals who need credible information on holistic health and well-being trends. Our coverage is 100% local with expert content that interests both local residents and professional integrated practitioners.
PUBLISHER/OWNER
Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD
Diane@essentialnaples.com
DIR. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/OWNER
Christopher Urso
Curso@naturalnutmeg.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Lori Hubbard
lori@naturalnutmeg.com
DESIGN DIRECTOR
Ashley Frament layout@naturalnutmeg.com
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Colleen Lee colleen@naturalnutmeg.com
ADVISORY BOARD
Nina Azwoir, Financial
Deanna M. Cherrone, MD
Derrick DeSilva, MD
Theresa Edmunds, CHC
Betsy Opyt, RD, LD/N, CDE
Denise Pancyrz, Nutrition
Josephine Perez, DMD
DISTRIBUTION
Naples and SWFL, please contact curso@naturalnutmeg.com
Essential Naples Magazine essentialnaples.com
In keeping with our concern for the environment, Essential Naples is proudly printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks.
Essential Naples is a free publication supported solely by our advertisers and distributed throughout SWFL. Please email curso@naturalnutmeg.com for locations near you.
© 2025 by Natural Nutmeg, LLC. All rights reserved. Parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, with permission. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your feedback.
Are you tired of living with pain? Looking to improve your mobility or performance without invasive procedures or medications? At Naples Robotic Pain Relief, we’re bringing the future of pain relief to SWFL— an FDA-approved, noninvasive, drug-free solution that’s changing lives.
This revolutionary therapy uses advanced technology to deliver targeted relief to your muscles and joints. Whether you’re struggling with sciatica, hip, knee, or low back pain, shoulder issues, neck pain, or headaches, this therapy works at the source to:
•eliminate or reduce pain by releasing muscle tension
•improve mobility and balance for daily activities
•enhance performance on the golf course, on the court, or in your active lifestyle
•prevent future issues by correcting muscle tightness and imbalance
Unlike massage or PT, the robotic arm applies exact pressure to the specific spot for the perfect duration, ensuring optimal muscle release and lengthening, without surgery, drugs, exercise, or stretching. Who can benefit?
• Chronic pain sufferers: Say goodbye to discomfort and regain your freedom.
• Active individuals: Boost performance and prevent injuries.
• Proactive wellness: Add to your routine for long-term health. Real results:
• “After three sessions, my sciatica pain was gone.”
—Cyndi R., Bonita Springs resident
• “This therapy improved my golf swing and eliminated my hip pain.”
—John M., local athlete
Don’t let pain hold you back any longer—take the first step to a pain-free life. Book your free consultation today and discover how Robotic Therapy can transform your wellness.
We o er a complimentary consultation so clients can learn more about this revolutionary technology. We learn about your condition, and you learn whether this therapy can help you. You truly have nothing to lose—except your pain. Theresa Edmunds is a Certified Health Coach and co-owner of Naples Robotic Pain Relief. She is passionate about helping people feel better. To schedule your consultation or for more information, call 239.778-6842 or visit NaplesRoboticPainRelief.com. See ad on page 15 >
I’mLauri Ingram, and my journey to Awakened Pathways began with a deep spiritual awakening that urged me to look at my life from a new perspective. After more than forty years in corporate leadership, I felt called to step into a path that honored the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. I was inspired to create Awakened Pathways to help others navigate their own awakenings, life transitions, and transformations with clarity, compassion, and conscious awareness.
I integrate spiritual exploration with subconscious reprogramming, blending modalities like hypnotherapy, NLP, EFT, Reiki, and Crystal Dreaming®. This unique combination allows clients to not only uncover what holds them back but to release and rewire those patterns on a subconscious level. As an interfaith minister and spiritual coach, I also bring depth, inclusivity, and ceremony into the work, creating sacred, supportive containers where lasting transformation unfolds.
One of my favorite outcomes of my journey is when a client emerges from a session visibly lighter, saying, “I feel like myself again.”
Witnessing someone reclaim their authentic self, whether through a powerful breakthrough, a deep meditation, or the gentle clarity of coaching, is the heart of why I do this work. It is an honor to walk alongside others as they discover their inner wisdom, release old stories, and step into the lives they were meant to live.
Lauri Ingram • Awakened Pathways Hamden, CT • 203.435.5650 • lauriingram.com
Regeneration (vs. degeneration) is real, and transformation is possible. I hold a high level of care for the well-being of my clients and a passion for their growth. Because of my history and devotion to healing, I carry a vibration that embodies strength while remaining kind and gentle at the same time. I sense people feel safe and nourished in my presence and maybe a little surprised how quickly their deeply buried feelings surface in a highly attuned therapeutic container.
The technique I use is called Eidetic Imagery, an evidence-based ancient practice that gives one access to deep (unconscious) currents of emotion, essence, and intuition. It’s a highly effective way of concretizing a problem situation into vivid images (think scenes from a movie) which can be accessed, walked around, magnified, etc., where stuck and frozen old hurts and pains get examined, worked on, and metabolized to enable a healing elixir to flow into the mind and body. The soulheart-mind-body connection is one. True holism.
My clients are typically in their mid-to-late 30s and older, which, for some, is when the surge of life that wants to be lived and expressed surfaces within a person. Distress often manifests as depression, anxiety, and relationship problems. Clients across from me often experience a shift from more contracted states of victimization, anger (toward self and others), or overwhelm to their unique natural states of well-being. It’s so beautiful when clients work through eidetic images, which are visual and visceral, and integrate their true grandeur and beauty.
Seema Dasani, MS, LPC
Alchemy of True Nourishment Wilton, CT • 203.493.1162 info@seemadasani.com seemadasani.com
20% OFF + a complimentary book with your first order. Mention you saw us in Essential Naples or use code EN20 at checkout.
Holistic psychotherapy uses traditional methods of psychotherapy along with nontraditional approaches to accomplish the deepest level of healing possible. The mind, body, and spirit are viewed as one unit, working in harmony and seeking integration and balance.
Life Coaches guide you to specific business and personal goals and transitions in many areas of your life. They help you grow by analyzing your current situation, identifying limiting beliefs and obstacles you face, and devising a custom plan of action to help you achieve your goals.
Hypnotherapy is a type of psychological therapy that uses hypnosis to help treat certain mental and physical health conditions. It can also be used to change habits.
Helping people pursue their potential while fostering a deep sense of self-love and confidence is what truly fuels my work. I’ve always believed in focusing on strengths—what we’re naturally good at—as a foundation for building resilience. Rather than just reducing symptoms or distress, my approach is about helping individuals thrive. For me, there’s no greater fulfillment than supporting someone in reconnecting with themselves and feeling empowered in their own life. When I’m able to help someone feel good about who they are, I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
My practice is rooted in the belief that healing begins when people feelseen, heard, and valued— not just as clients, but as whole human beings. I approach psychotherapy holistically, honoring the full complexity of each person: their strengths, their struggles, and everything in between. My goal is to create a space where clients feel deeply connected, both to themselves and within the therapeutic relationship. It’s in that safe, authentic connection that real growth can begin—from a place of selfacceptance and compassion. That human-to-human connection is at the core of everything I do.
The most meaningful moments in my career are always when a client experiences a breakthrough— when they begin to see themselves with new clarity, curiosity, and compassion. Whether it’s witnessing someone find peace within, rediscover their purpose, or rekindle a passion they thought they’d lost, those moments are what stay with me. It’s not just one story—it’s a mosaic of transformation, and it’s an absolute privilege to be part of it.
Dr. Hillary Singer, Dr. Hillary Singer, LLC 941.202.2252 • drhillarysinger.com
Guiding others on their righteous path is not only my passion but my life’s work. I became a licensed psychotherapist because I believe healing starts deeper than the relationships we have around us; it begins with our connection to our mind, body, and soul.
I created Healing with Alicia to offer a holistic, raw, and vulnerable space to help others awaken the tools they already have within. This is a space where wellness meets the nervous system on a soul-healing level. I am deeply committed to helping others reconnect to their inner wisdom and achieve their highest potential.
I’ve worked with a wide range of populations, from incarcerated individuals in the Florida prison system to veterans, first responders, and clients in community mental health. It’s ingrained in me to meet people where they are, no matter the diagnosis or life experience. My approach is rooted in psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapy, which allows clients to explore the unconscious patterns that shape their lives. I hold space with both warmth and directness, creating an emotionally honest environment for those who are ready to move their unconscious to become their conscious.
One of my favorite memories as a licensed psychotherapist is the day I launched my private practice. I was raised in a household with the support of my amazing parents, who instilled in me a vigorous work ethic. There’s a quote I live by: “Bet on yourself.” It’s not about giving people the answers; it’s about helping them remember who they were before the world told them to become smaller. That’s where the real healing begins.
Alicia Cadiz, LMHC, Licensed Psychotherapist, CEO & Founder Healing with Alicia • 239.312.0980 • healingwithalicia.com
As a licensed clinical social worker at Wings of Change in Naples, I provide a unique service, qEEG-guided neurofeedback, along with heart rate variability training and photobiomodulation (red light therapy for the brain and vagus nerve).
I am board-certified in neurofeedback and hold a diplomatcertificate in Quantitative Electrogram (qEEG). This license and these certificates make me uniquely qualified to treat a wide variety of mentalhealth conditions. I’m also a mentor for those seeking certification in neurofeedback and/or qEEG and a certified supervisor for those seeking licensure in Social Work.
I’m passionate about helping people find their footing and thrive on their journey through life. Neurofeedback, psychotherapy, heart rate variability training, and photobiomodulation are the tools I use to achieve this goal for my clients. My fondest memories of the work I do center around the progress I witness in my patients, as shown in the following testimonials.
“We came upon Wings of Change through the advice of another practitioner in Pennsylvania who was helping us to break through the different barriers of autism. We seemed ‘stuck’ at a plateau, and they suggested trying the neurofeedback approach. They found Wings of Change for us, researched their approach, and suggested we try this clinic for our son (who was 24 years old). Lea was very knowledgeable, caring, and familiar with other modalities of healing, which allowed her to explain how neurofeedback would address our son’s needs differently. She initially showed us his baseline chart compared to that of other neurotypical people his age. We were fascinated by howthe scans showed us such detail inthe different areas of the brain. Based on Seth’s initial scan, Lea targeted Seth’s need to reduce social anxiety and increase areas of his brain that would help him focus on the tasks. We saw charted improvements over time, reducing our son’s anxiety levels, which increased his ability to focus and stay on task, which ultimately led him to become more independent in thinking things through for himself. We are happy to report that Seth has been able to move out of our home and is now living in an apartment. Lea also consistently took the time to listen and care about our family’s needs. This relates to our son’s needs in different ways neurofeedback could help his brain heal. We highly recommend Wings of Change and Lea Leonard.”—Mother of a young man with autism
“My daughter was self-harming (cutting) and suicidal when I made an appointment with Lea in January. After just one session, Lea had already helped my daughter discover the cause of her anxiety and depression and taught her some coping skills. But when Lea started neurofeedback, the results were immediate and astounding! Every week since mid-March, my daughter has been making amazing progress; she is no longer anxious and sad. She has a smile that lights up her face again! Lea has given my daughter her life back!” —DG, Naples
Lea Leonard, LCSW, BCN, QEEG-DL • Wings of Change Naples, FL • 239.287.0810 • Wings-of-Change.com
This is not basic therapy. It is Life-Changing Psychotherapy for those who have gone through it all. It is recovery for trauma, mood disorders, and narcissistic abuse for individuals, couples, and families.
At Life-Changing Psychotherapy, the work goes beyond basic therapy—it is a transformative journey to reach the subconscious, release inherited patterns, and restore a capacity to thrive. With over twenty years of expertise in psychology and holistic integration, I created this sanctuary in Naples to offer something rare: concierge care combined with neuroscience and evidence-based holistic therapies.
My mission is clear: To empower women to heal, because women are the creators of humankind. When women heal, they heal their families, communities, and society. This belief drives every therapeutic alliance I build. Each relationship is more than clinical—it is a partnership grounded in trust and commitment.
Life-Changing Psychotherapy is defined by its depth and exclusivity. I do not remain at the surface of problems; I guide clients into deeper layers of the subconscious, using principles of epigenetics to release inherited beliefs and patterns passed down through generations. This work can liberate not only the individual but also the ancestry of experiences that shaped them.
I integrate evidence-based therapies such as CBT, EMDR, and mindfulness with holistic practices including hypnosis, breathwork, yoga, Pilates, and therapeutic dance. This synergy addresses both the conscious and subconscious mind, creating lasting and measurable change.
As a concierge practitioner, I work with a limited number of clients, so you can expect to receive personalized attention and a dedicated connection to your case. Clients also have access to me between sessions, creating continuity of care that extends beyond the traditional model. Sessions are offered in my luxury private office, which is designed for a deep psychological reset, through secure telehealth, or delivered at the client’s preferred location.
The life-changing experience starts online with a streamlined, professional documentation process. The first assessment session is the start of a confidential, personal, and transformative therapeutic journey. You will experience directive sessions designed to facilitate neuroplastic change and rewire maladaptive patterns into resilient pathways, promoting radical transformation.
Don’t wait until your brain’s programs—which are creating your symptoms—become ingrained in your nervous system. The longer you wait, the harder they are to change. The time to heal is now. Call today and begin your transformation.
Carol Rodan • Life-Changing Psychotherapy
5051 Castello Dr, Naples, FL 34103 239.330.5397 • lifechangingpsychotherapy.com
By Denise A. Pancyrz, CHN, DSSTM
Whenmost people say they want to lose weight, what they really mean is losing fat. Unfortunately, the body doesn’t always make that distinction. If weight loss is pursued too aggressively—or if digestion and nutrient absorption aren’t working properly—muscle can be lost along with fat. This slows metabolism, reduces strength, and makes it harder to keep weight off long-term. Understanding the difference between fat and muscle loss, and how digestion influences both, is essential for achieving health rather than just a smaller number on the scale.
Weight loss is often treated like a math problem: eat less, move more, and watch the pounds drop. But the scale can’t reveal what’s actually being lost. Fat loss is beneficial, but muscle loss comes with consequences:
• Slowed metabolism: Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. Losing it lowers daily energy needs, making regain more likely.
• Reduced strength and mobility: Muscle loss can weaken function and increase the risk of injury.
• Weakened immunity: Muscle helps support immune response and recovery.
• Hormonal imbalance: Muscle improves insulin sensitivity, which protects against diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
That’s why healthy weight loss must focus on fat reduction while protecting muscle, and digestion plays a central role.
Digestion isn’t just about comfort—it’s about transformation. Every protein, fat, and carbohydrate must be broken down and absorbed to fuel energy, build tissue, and regulate hormones. When digestion is impaired, the body may lose muscle instead of fat—even with a healthy diet. Here’s why:
• Protein absorption: Muscles rely on amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Low stomach acid, poor enzyme activity, or gut inflammation can limit protein breakdown, forcing the body to cannibalize muscle to meet its needs.
• Nutrient malabsorption: Leaky gut, chronic inflammation, or digestive disorders can block absorption of nutrients like B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc—key for muscle repair and fat metabolism.
• Gut microbiome balance: Trillions of gut bacteria regulate metabolism, appetite, and fat storage. Imbalances can promote fat gain and reduce nutrient absorption that protects lean mass.
• Digestive stress and cortisol: Poor digestion stresses the body and raises cortisol. Chronically high cortisol breaks down muscle and promotes fat storage, especially around the belly.
To lose fat while protecting muscle, digestion must be supported alongside diet and exercise.
• Eat enough protein—and digest it well: Aim for 0.8–1.2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass daily. Choose quality sources like grass-fed meats, wild fish, organic eggs, legumes, and properly prepared nuts or seeds. Digestive enzymes or betaine HCl may help if stomach acid is low.
• Prioritize whole foods: Fiber-rich, unprocessed foods support gut bacteria, regularity, and nutrient absorption.
• Support the microbiome: Include prebiotics (fiber-rich vegetables, resistant starches) and probiotics (fermented foods or supplements) for balance.
• Manage stress and cortisol: Mindful eating, quality sleep, and stress-reducing practices protect digestion and muscle.
• Balance macronutrients: Extreme diets often strip muscle. A balanced mix of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs fuels recovery while creating a safe calorie deficit.
Exercise not only protects muscle but also influences digestion.
• Strength training: Signals the body to preserve muscle, even in a calorie deficit.
• Moderate cardio: Boosts circulation and digestion, though too much without resistance training can speed muscle loss.
• Movement after meals: Light walking or stretching aids digestion and glucose control. When paired with strong digestion, exercise directs weight loss toward fat instead of muscle.
•Test your digestive tract—this is important for absorbing vitamins and minerals.
•Learn the foods you are intolerant to and those that are therapeutic for you—we call this “food that loves you back.”
•Metal toxins can impede your weight loss progress—those should be checked.
• Be committed to making lifestyle changes where necessary. This is a must—coaching keeps you motivated and moving forward.
•Food additive testing lets us select the supplements specifically for you.
• Specific supplements are selected that focus on stimulating (not mimicking) your body’s own production of the “un-hunger” hormone.
Weight management is more than “calories in vs. calories out.” It’s about how well your body processes, absorbs, and utilizes nutrients. If digestion is compromised, the body may burn through muscle while holding onto fat. Stress only adds to the challenge. Focus on restoring digestion and creating lifestyle strategies that protect lean mass while promoting fat reduction.
A very effective tool is a simple half-inch of hair. This noninvasive test reveals gut imbalances, nutrient absorption challenges, and hidden stressors that may be sabotaging progress.
With this insight, a personalized plan is created that strengthens digestion, supports muscle, and shifts the body toward true fat loss. The result is more than a change on the scale—it’s greater energy, preserved strength, and long-term wellness.
At CuraVida Wellness Solutions, we go even deeper by including a comprehensive hair analysis in every wellness program. This powerful tool reflects long-term trends in your health, not just a snapshot of what’s happening in your body today.
Hair analysis helps us measure:
•Mineral imbalances that affect metabolism, energy, and mood
• Heavy metal exposure (like mercury, aluminum, and lead)
•Thyroid function and adrenal health
•Stress levels and how your body is responding
• Digestive issues, including bacteria imbalances and nutrient absorption problems
Why hair analysis? Because your hair stores metabolic information that blood tests can’t always capture. Blood tests can fluctuate depending on diet, stress, or hydration—but hair analysis gives a more stable, long-term picture of what’s happening in your body.
A personalized plan is created to help you correct these imbalances through targeted nutrition, supplements, lifestyle changes, and natural therapies. Rather than managing symptoms, we work to help your body heal from within.
Visit MyCuraVida.com to book a free consultation.
Denise A. Pancyrz, CHN, DSS™, is a Digestive, Diabetes & Holistic Lifestyle Coach, speaker, and best-selling author of The Virgin Diabetic , Reverse the Effects of Type 2 Diabetes, available on Amazon. CuraVida Wellness Solutions Virtual Wellness Center. To book a Discovery Call or set up a speaking event, visit MyCuraVida.com, email Denise@MyCuraVida.com or call 1.877.CuraVida. See ad on page 17 >
“If digestion is compromised, the body may burn through muscle while holding onto fat. Stress only adds to the challenge.”
—Denise Pancyrz, CHN, DSSTM
By Dr. Jake Berman, PT, DPT
Do any of these sound familiar?
"My knees hurt going downstairs.”
“My back is stiff after a long car ride.”
“My balance isn’t as good as it used to be.”
“I must have slept wrong, and now my neck is bothering me.”
“I can’t toss the ball with my grandson because of my bad shoulder.”
These are all reasons people give for “feeling” older—despite the fact that their actual age hasn’t changed since yesterday. For many, these aches and limitations are the tipping point where they slow down and accept: I’m getting old.
Meanwhile, I work with clients in their late eighties and even nineties who are doing the opposite—speeding up. One of my clients is an 88-year-old woman training for a week-long hiking adventure in Europe next summer. Another is a 93-year-old man who’s playing the best golf he’s played in years, playing nine holes nearly every day. They aren’t just maintaining; they’re thriving.
The first reaction most people have to these stories is, “Well, they must have good genetics.” And sure—sometimes genetics help. But in my fifteen years of practice, I’ve seen “good” genetics account for less than one percent of the outliers who continue living fully into their eighties and nineties. The truth is that the way people experience pain often dictates how old they feel.
I can’t count how many times I’ve heard, “I didn’t feel old until this pain wouldn’t go away.” Pain—whether physical or psychological—creates a limitation. And we tend to equate limitations with aging. Once that association is made, the cycle feeds itself: I’m not going to do that because of my knee/back/shoulder, or I used to be able to do that when I was younger. Without realizing it, you’ve admitted you’re “too old” for certain activities. Here’s the reality: 99.9% of nontraumatic pain is caused by weakness, and that means 99.9% of it is preventable.
Nontraumatic pain means there was no accident—no fall, no collision, no sudden injury. You simply woke up with your shoulder hurting. You were walking down the stairs when your knee started aching. You bent over to pick up a pencil and your back “went out.” Or one of my personal favorites: “We got new floors, and now I have plantar fasciitis.”
These are not arthritis, rotator cuff tears, or bone-on-bone issues (despite what X-rays sometimes show). They’re caused by weak muscles that can no longer support the load your daily activities demand.
The good news is that weakness is not permanent. Muscles respond quickly when challenged the right way, often faster than people expect. I’ve seen clients who suffered with chronic pain for years regain strength and feel relief in just a few weeks of targeted training. The body is designed to adapt, and when you provide the right stimulus, even decades of discomfort can begin to unwind. This is why addressing the root cause— weakness—can transform not only how you move, but how young and capable you feel.
But this is not what mainstream medicine tells you. In fact, the causes I’m about to share are rarely discussed in an orthopedic surgeon’s office.
The Culprits
Let’s cut to the chase.
•The number-one cause of back, hip, and knee pain: Sitting.
•The number-one cause of foot pain: Wearing shoes.
•The number-one cause of neck, shoulder, and elbow pain: Poor posture, most often from sitting in overly comfortable chairs.
Why is sitting so bad? When you sit in a chair, your glutes turn off. Over time, any muscle that “turns off” will weaken. Once your glutes weaken, your hips, knees, and back lose their primary stabilizers, and the strain shifts to your joints.
Shoes—especially supportive shoes or those with orthotics—have a similar effect on your feet. They do the work that the muscles of your feet are supposed to do. Over time, those muscles get weaker. Then, when you walk barefoot or in less supportive footwear, your foot structures (joints, tendons, ligaments) take on too much stress, leading to inflammation and pain.
And that cushy recliner you love? It’s doing your posture muscles no favors. Soft, slouched seating turns off the muscles in the middle of your back. When you stand up, those muscles are too weak to fight gravity. Your shoulders round forward, your head juts out, and you start compensating with your neck and shoulders, which eventually leads to pain in the neck, shoulder, and even elbow.
If you think I’m exaggerating, consider this: It’s extremely rare to find widespread hip arthritis, knee replacements, chronic back pain, or plantar fasciitis in third-world countries. One major lifestyle difference? They don’t use chairs and supportive shoes nearly as much as we do (if ever). In many cultures, squatting is a daily necessity— whether it’s for cooking, working, or relieving oneself. That deep “ass-to-grass” squat keeps the glutes and hips strong for life. Now be honest— how many of you reading this could drop into a full squat right now, hold it for a couple of minutes, and stand back up without pain? For most Americans, that’s unthinkable. But in cultures where squatting is part of daily life, people maintain that strength and mobility until the day they die.
Which brings me back to my favorite question: “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?”
I first saw this quote on the bathroom wall of one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in town, where I typically celebrate my birthday. Every year, I pause and truly think about it.
This year, I turned 40—and my answer was 28. Last year, at 39, I said 35. The difference? Last year, I was dealing with a nagging shoulder injury. This year, I feel fantastic. I’ve hit more personal records in the gym than I have in the past ten years. I’m moving better, lifting heavier, and recovering faster. It’s no coincidence that I “felt” younger this year. The stronger and more capable my body is, the younger I perceive myself to be.
The point is this: Your “age” isn’t just the number of candles on your cake. It’s how well your body moves, how resilient it is, and how much you can do without pain holding you back. Weakness accelerates aging. Properly coached strengthening reverses it.
So the next time you find yourself thinking, I’m getting old, pause for a moment. Ask yourself instead: Am I getting old—or am I just getting weak? The answer to that question could change everything.
Dr. Jake Berman, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist and the owner of Berman Physical Therapy, where they focus on treating the actual problem causing your symptoms (pain) to help you avoid taking pain pills and dangerous surgeries. So, if you’re tired of feeling “old” and you are looking for another way to keep active and mobile, call Dr. Berman at 239.431.0232 to take advantage of a FREE 30-minute taster session! See ad on page 21 >
“Now
be honest—how many of you reading this could drop into a full squat right now,
hold it for a couple of minutes, and stand back up without pain?”
—Dr.
Jake Berman, PT, DPT
By Dr. Steven Case, MD
H“We know that stem cells derived from these sources are more powerful in their regenerative capabilities, and they can produce these powerhouses in much greater numbers.:
—Dr. Steven Case, MD
istorically, we have offered our patients with arthritis physical therapy, activity modification and limitations, nonsteroidal medications, steroid injections, and hyaluronic acid injections with moderate success. But where do we go from here? How do we help our patients avoid the risks of major surgery when they are given the ominous report, “You have bone-onbone arthritis in your hip or knee”?
Orthobiologic therapies are proving to be very successful in harnessing the power of your own body’s repair processes to relieve arthritic pain, slow the degenerative changes, and improve a patient’s mobility. With a growing body of scientific evidence, these therapies may be the ultimate solution to this growing problem. It is reported that the number of total knee replacements in the U.S. is expected to increase from 1 million per year in 2025 to 3 million per year in 2030.
Unfortunately, approximately 90,000 people (three percent of the U.S. population) will require revision within two years or less. That is a lot of unhappy patients!
I have spoken before about the power of platelet-rich plasma, which provides up to twelve months of relief to seventy percent of patients suffering from the condition. However, we can also stack this treatment with hyaluronic acid or a concentrated protein in your plasma, called A2M, to prolong the results to eighteen months.
What is exciting for Florida in the newly passed legislation, Florida House Bill 1617, in July 2025? This now permits the use of umbilical cord and amniotic tissue to harvest stem cells and exosomes, which can be applied to treat orthopedic conditions, manage pain, and promote wound healing.
We know that stem cells derived from these sources are more powerful in their regenerative capabilities, and they can produce these powerhouses in much greater numbers. Additionally, the patient does not have to undergo the process of harvesting from the bone marrow or fat, which is associated with discomfort and risks.
Stem cells are very specialized cells located throughout your body along every blood vessel and within the bone marrow. These cells are activated by injury and mobilize to the site of injury, coordinating a complex process of repair and regeneration. They also recruit stem cell mobilization from the bone marrow to “go to work” in these processes.
When we inject these cells into a degenerative joint, they immediately go to work amplifying the reparative processes, decreasing inflammation for the surrounding joint structure. There is also
scientific evidence of partial cartilage repair and restoration, leading to decreased pain and improved mobility.
Exosomes are extremely small extracellular vesicles produced by stem cells and platelets, which are released from the cell as small packages carrying a concentrated cargo of proteins, growth factors, enzymes, and mRNA. They travel, protected by a fatty layer throughout the body, in circulation to target injury or disease and enter their target cells to direct cellular activities, including protein production, regeneration, and anti-inflammatory functions. These exosomes are released from your platelets during a PRP injection as part of the repair process. However, when these are harvested from the umbilical cord or amniotic fluid, ten times as many exosomes are available for clinical use, targeting degenerative tissue and joints. The latest research suggests these tiny powerhouse packages provide a more targeted and safer approach without the concern for immune response to a “foreign cell.
All these latest orthobiologics, stem cells, and exosomes are collected at the time of a routine C-section delivery. All donors are screened, and the samples are processed in an FDA-regulated laboratory. A complete certificate of analysis is provided with each sample for tracking. These are some of the most exciting and cutting-edge therapies currently being made available to the public.
At Body Restore of Naples, we aim to make these options available to those who have been diagnosed with bone-on-bone arthritis and require a joint replacement procedure. Come see us for a consultation today, and let’s see if you are a good candidate for these exciting nonsurgical solutions.
Dr. Steven Case, MD, is a boardcertified orthopedic surgeon with over twenty years of experience in sports medicine and joint replacement surgeries. He is the only orthopedic surgeon in South Florida with a practice solely focused on avoiding surgery using these cell-based therapies. Body Restore of Naples is located at 4760 Tamiami Trail N, Ste. 24, Naples. To learn more, visit bodyrestorenaples.com, call 239.241.2869, or email bodyrestorenaples@gmail.com See ad on page 25 >
By Theresa Edmunds, CHC
We’ve all heard the phrase “sitting is the new smoking”—and for good reason. While it may not leave smoke in the air, sitting for long hours slowly erodes our health in unseen ways.
Research links sedentary lifestyles to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even premature death. It has also been linked to various conditions that make up metabolic syndrome, including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and unhealthy cholesterol levels. But beyond the internal risks, sitting silently reshapes our musculoskeletal system, locking critical muscles into shortened, stressed positions that fuel chronic pain.
But mounting scientific evidence suggests that our increasingly sedentary lifestyles pose serious risks to our health—risks that are both preventable and widespread. Here’s why sitting has earned this alarming reputation and what you can do to protect your long-term well-being.
Thanks to technology and modern work culture, many of us spend most of our day sitting—at our desks, in cars, and in front of screens. A typical
office worker may sit for eight to ten hours a day, often without significant physical activity to balance it out. This level of inactivity is no longer the exception—it’s standard.
Scientific research has linked excessive sitting to a wide array of health problems, including:
• Cardiovascular disease: Prolonged sitting can negatively affect blood flow and circulation. It increases the risk of high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, and plaque buildup in arteries—key contributors to heart disease. One study found that people who sit for more than ten hours a day may have a thirty-four percent higher risk of dying from heart disease.
• Type 2 diabetes: Sitting for long periods reduces the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, increasing insulin resistance. This raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even among people who otherwise appear healthy.
• Obesity: When you sit, you’re burning far fewer calories than when you’re standing or moving. Over time, this can lead to weight gain
and obesity, both of which further increase the risk of other chronic diseases.
• Muscle and joint problems: Sitting too much can lead to muscle imbalances, particularly in the hips, back, and shoulders. Poor posture often accompanies long hours of sitting, leading to chronic back and neck pain.
• Mental health issues: Studies have found a correlation between sedentary behavior and mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. Physical activity stimulates the release of mood-enhancing chemicals like endorphins and serotonin, which are reduced when movement is limited.
• Increased risk of early death:
One comprehensive study concluded that prolonged sedentary time, regardless of physical activity, is associated with a higher risk of early death. This means even regular exercise might not fully offset the damage caused by excessive sitting.
The two most important muscles impacted by sitting are the psoas and pectoral muscles. These powerful but often-overlooked muscles hold the key to posture, movement, and even breathing. When they tighten from prolonged sitting, the results ripple throughout the body: back pain, hip stiffness, shoulder rounding, neck pain, poor breathing mechanics, and even fatigue.
For decades, therapists have tried to unlock these deep muscles using stretching, massage, and exercise. But results were inconsistent—until now. Today, a groundbreaking treatment called Robotic Muscle Therapy (RMT) is revolutionizing the way we release the psoas and pectorals, restoring balance, alignment, and lasting relief.
Think about a typical day. Hours at a desk, time in the car, an evening on the couch. It all adds up. Studies suggest the average adult spends six to eight hours sitting every day, with some exceeding ten hours. That constant seated posture reshapes the body in two damaging ways:
• The psoas locks short: The psoas, a deep hip flexor, connects the lumbar spine to the femur. It stabilizes your core and powers movements like walking and climbing stairs. But sitting keeps it in a flexed, shortened state. Over time, the psoas becomes chronically tight, pulling the spine forward and creating back pain, hip stiffness, and even sciatica.
• The pectorals collapse the chest: The pectoral muscles run across the chest, anchoring the shoulders. With hours of slouching, they shorten and tighten, pulling the shoulders inward and rounding the upper back. This
“Stretching, yoga, and massage certainly have their place in wellness. But when it comes to deep-seated muscles like the psoas and pectorals, they often fall short.”
—Theresa Edmunds, CHC
posture not only causes neck and shoulder pain but also compresses the chest, limiting oxygen intake.
Together, tight psoas and pectorals distort posture and movement. The spine curves, the pelvis tilts, the chest collapses, and muscles throughout the body strain to compensate.
The good news is that the negative effects of sitting may be reduced with simple lifestyle changes:
• Stand up regularly: Use a timer to remind yourself to stand and stretch every thirty to sixty minutes.
• Use a standing desk: Alternating between sitting and standing can reduce sedentary time without sacrificing productivity.
• Walk more: Incorporate short walks into your day—take the stairs, park farther from your destination, or have walking meetings.
• Exercise daily: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
• Limit screen time: Especially during leisure hours, reduce time spent sitting in front of a TV or computer.
Stretching, yoga, and massage certainly have their place in wellness. But when it comes to deepseated muscles like the psoas and pectorals, they often fall short. The psoas lies too deep for many manual techniques to reach effectively, and the pectorals often retighten after brief stretching, especially if sitting habits remain unchanged. For most people, traditional therapy provides temporary relief—but the pain inevitably returns.
Robotic Muscle Therapy (RMT) is a cutting-edge solution designed to overcome these challenges. Using advanced robotic technology, RMT applies gentle, consistent, and precisely targeted
pressure to muscles like the psoas and pectorals. Unlike human hands, robotic systems never fatigue, ensuring accuracy session after session.
• Precision: Accessing deep muscles that manual therapy cannot
• Consistency: Using vibration and pressure to deeply relax tissues
• Noninvasive: No drugs, no injections, no surgery
Applying slow, calibrated pressure to gently lengthen the muscle fibers, relieving compression on nerves and restoring mobility. Patients often report the following:
•Immediate relief from lower back or hip pain
• A sense of “lightness” through the pelvis and spine
•Improved posture and easier movement
• Reduction in sciatica-related discomfort
When applied to the pectoral muscles, RMT opens the chest and restores shoulder alignment. Tightness that has been pulling the shoulders forward is released, taking pressure off the trapezius muscles, neck, and upper back. Benefits include:
• Relief from neck and upper back pain
• Better shoulder mobility
• Deeper, easier breathing
• A more upright posture
The benefits of releasing the psoas and pectorals extend far beyond reducing discomfort. By restoring balance and alignment, RMT helps the body function at its best. Clients frequently notice:
•Enhanced athletic performance and faster recovery
•Improved energy levels due to better circulation and breathing
• Greater ease in daily activities, from sitting at a desk to walking long distances
• Reduced reliance on pain medications or invasive procedures
For office workers, athletes, and older adults alike, RMT is proving to be more than just therapy— it’s a path to reclaiming quality of life.
An office worker who struggled with years of back pain finally found relief after just a few sessions. Athletes recovering from injury reported faster returns to training. Retirees said they could move more confidently, free from the stiffness that once limited them.
Robotic Muscle Therapy is more than a treatment— it’s the future of musculoskeletal health. As our world grows more sedentary, therapies like RMT will become essential tools for combating the physical toll of sitting. With its precision, safety, and life-changing results, RMT represents the next evolution in non-invasive pain relief and posture restoration.
Sitting may be the new smoking, but you don’t have to let it define your health. If you’re struggling with back pain, hip tightness, rounded shoulders, neck pain, or chronic stiffness, your psoas and pectorals are most likely the hidden culprits.
Robotic Muscle Therapy offers a proven, technology-driven way to unlock these muscles, restore alignment, and reclaim your mobility.
Call Naples Robotic Pain Relief today to schedule your Robotic Muscle Therapy session. Experience for yourself how precision care can relieve pain, improve posture, and restore lasting freedom of movement. Your body will thank you.
We offer a complimentary consultation so clients can learn more about this revolutionary technology. We learn about your condition, and you discover whether this therapy can help you. You truly have nothing to lose— except your pain. Theresa Edmunds is a Certified Health Coach and co-owner of Naples Robotic Pain Relief. She is passionate about helping people feel better. To schedule a no-cost consultation or for more information, contact 239.778.6842 or visit naplesroboticpainrelief.com.
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“Chronic stress creates physical tension that your back literally carries, while fatigue affects how your body maintains proper posture and movement patterns.”
—Lisa H. Sprague, MSS, PTA, LMT
By Lisa H. Sprague, MSS, PTA, LMT
Ifyou’re reading this, chances are that back pain has become an unwelcome part of your daily routine. Maybe it’s that morning stiffness that sets the tone for your entire day, or the nagging ache that makes you think twice before picking up your grandchild. You’re not alone in this experience, and more importantly, you don’t have to accept it as inevitable.
Back pain affects nearly eighty percent of Americans at some point in their lives, making it one of the most common health complaints we face. What makes this particularly challenging is that sixty percent of people experience recurring episodes within a year, and ninety percent of lower back pain cases are classified as nonspecific, meaning there isn’t one clear, identifiable cause.
These statistics represent millions of people navigating daily life with discomfort that ranges from mildly annoying to genuinely debilitating. Disturbingly high numbers? I think so.
Back pain rarely has a single cause, which is why it can be so frustrating to treat. Instead, it typically develops from multiple contributing factors working together like pieces of a complex puzzle.
Physical factors include muscle weakness and imbalances between different muscle groups. When some muscles are stronger than others, your spine doesn’t receive the balanced support it needs. Poor posture from our increasingly sedentary lifestyles compounds this problem –hours spent hunched over computers or looking down at phones create patterns of tension and weakness that accumulate over time.
As we age, normal wear and tear on spinal discs, joints, and vertebrae can lead to additional complications, such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, or arthritis-related inflammation.
Lifestyle and psychological factors also play significant roles. Chronic stress creates physical tension that your back literally carries, while fatigue affects how your body maintains proper posture and movement patterns. Even depression can intensify pain perception, creating a cycle where pain affects mood and mood affects pain.
This complexity explains why simple solutions often provide only temporary relief. A single approach might address one piece of the puzzle, but the other contributing factors remain, allowing pain to return.
While exercise and physical therapy remain essential components of back pain management, research indicates that conventional strength training alone often does not provide sufficient relief. When you’re already in pain, traditional exercise can sometimes be challenging or even counterproductive.
There is a need for approaches that can simultaneously strengthen deep stabilizing muscles, improve coordination, provide pain relief, and reduce stress and tension.
StimaWELL represents an innovative approach that combines four evidence-based treatment modalities in one comprehensive system. This German-engineered therapy mat offers a comprehensive treatment experience that addresses multiple aspects of back pain simultaneously, providing a more thorough approach than traditional single-method treatments.
1. Targeted pain relief (TENS): The system uses Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) – gentle electrical impulses that stimulate nerve pathways. This technology works by encouraging the release of endorphins, your body’s natural pain-relieving compounds, while also helping to interrupt pain signals before they reach your brain. The result is immediate comfort that helps break the pain-tension cycle that often perpetuates back problems.
2. Muscle strengthening (EMS): Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) represents a breakthrough in muscle rehabilitation. This technology activates both the deep stabilizing muscles that support your spine and the surface muscles you use for daily activities. Unlike voluntary exercise, EMS can target muscles that are difficult to activate consciously, especially when pain or dysfunction has created compensatory patterns. The stimulation improves muscle tone, enhances coordination between muscle groups, and increases blood flow to promote healing while reducing inflammation.
"The goal isn’t just managing pain— it’s reclaiming your freedom to move through life without constantly negotiating with your back.”
—Lisa H. Sprague, MSS, PTA, LMT
3. Therapeutic massage: Twelve strategically placed electrodes provide comprehensive massage coverage across your entire back, from your upper shoulders to your lower lumbar region. This isn’t just relaxation –therapeutic massage promotes circulation, helps break up adhesions in muscle tissue, reduces muscle tension, and provides the stress relief benefits that are crucial for breaking the pain-stress cycle.
4. Deep heat therapy: Therapeutic heat increases blood flow to treated areas, bringing oxygen and nutrients while helping remove metabolic waste products that can contribute to pain and inflammation. Heat also promotes muscle relaxation and improves tissue flexibility, making movement easier and more comfortable. This enhanced circulation supports your body’s natural healing processes while reducing stiffness.
What sets StimaWELL apart is its sophisticated ability to customize treatment for your specific needs. The system begins with a comprehensive calibration process that analyzes your back condition, identifies areas of muscle imbalance, and determines optimal stimulation levels for your individual physiology.
Each session follows a carefully structured approach: a gentle warm-up phase prepares your muscles and increases circulation, the active treatment phase provides targeted strengthening and pain relief, and a relaxation phase helps your body integrate the benefits while reducing stress and tension.
The treatment reaches deep muscle layers that are often difficult to target with traditional exercise, while remaining gentle enough to protect spinal structures during the healing process. This combination of effectiveness and safety makes it suitable for people at various fitness levels and stages of recovery.
Living with back pain means constantly making compromises—avoiding activities you enjoy, planning your day around your comfort level, or simply accepting that discomfort is part of your routine. But comprehensive treatment approaches like StimaWELL offer a different path forward.
By addressing muscle weakness, pain, tension, and stress simultaneously, StimaWELL therapy can help restore not only comfort but also confidence in your body’s ability to support the activities that matter to you. The goal isn’t just managing pain— it’s reclaiming your freedom to move through life without constantly negotiating with your back. What if your relief is just one session away? I am offering an intro to StimaWELL special for $99. Please call me, Lisa, at 239.821.1223 and schedule your StimaWELL experience.
Lisa H Sprague, MSS, PTA, LMT, is the co-owner of Good News Doctor Naples with Dr Mark DeBrincat, the Good News Doctor! Lisa has over thirty-five years of experience as a licensed healthcare practitioner and has been in private practice since 1999. Good News Doctor Naples offers you powerful new approaches to optimize your health and well-being at the cellular level, frequency therapy, cognitive testing, advanced technologies and products, and more. Together, we combine expertise in energy medicine, brain health, pain therapy, and advanced technology to offer a truly comprehensive approach to Wellness. Experience life-enhancing services starting at the cellular level to treat the whole to heal the part, improve quality of life, and empower you to put self-care back into your healthcare! Visit me at 5621 Strand Blvd, Suite 301, in Naples, 239.821.1223, or go to GoodNewsDoctorNaples.com.
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By Lynn Brewer, Co-Owner of Cloud9 Float Spa
Imagine stepping into a quiet, warm pod filled with magnesium, floating effortlessly, and feeling your stress melt away. This is the essence of float therapy (hydrotherapy), also known as floating, or REST (reduced environmental stimulation therapy). Rooted in decades of scientific research, float therapy has gained popularity as a natural, drug-free solution for anxiety, stress, pain relief, and much more.
When removing external distractions, your brain enters a deeply relaxed state similar to early-stage sleep or deep meditation. This is linked to the production of theta brain waves, associated with creativity, memory consolidation, and anxiety relief. Our brain is constantly producing electrical activity, which shows up as brain waves. These waves vary in frequency, and each type is associated with a specific state of consciousness:
• Beta (13–30 Hz): Normal waking consciousness, alert thinking, and problem-solving.
• Alpha (8–12 Hz): Relaxed awareness, light meditation, and a calm but alert mind.
• Theta (4–7 Hz): Deep relaxation, meditation, and the edge of sleep often where creativity and emotional healing occur.
• Delta (0.5–3 Hz): Deep—dreamless sleep and restorative processes.
(Hydrotherapy)
• Stress reduction: By eliminating sensory input, the brain and body can reset, promoting a state of relaxation where the parasympathetic system becomes dominant. Cortisol levels are reduced, leaving you feeling lighter and calmer.
• Anxiety relief: A 2018 study on floating (REST) found a significant decrease in anxiety after a single sixty-minute float. When floating on a regular basis, this therapy can help individuals with generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and panic attacks.
• Improved sleep quality: Many floaters report falling asleep more easily and staying asleep longer. This is likely due to reduced cortisol and enhanced melatonin regulation from entering deep relaxation, which happens with float therapy. Studies have confirmed improved sleep quality following consistent float sessions.
• Pain management: The zero-gravity sensation and magnesium-rich solution ease muscle and joint pain. People with fibromyalgia, arthritis, and chronic back pain, along with other symptoms, often experience notable relief with consistent floating. Because magnesium is essential for muscle function and recovery, athletes and individuals with chronic pain benefit from reduced lactic acid buildup and improved circulation, pain reduction, and post-workout recovery.
Absorbing magnesium through the skin helps relieve pain, cramps, stiffness, and inflammation, among other benefits. Our bodies can absorb up to twenty-seven percent of our needed magnesium in a sixty-minute float. When floating regularly, one can improve their stress level, pain level, sleep quality, and immune system, and add to their overall health and wellness.
Research shows that floating can increase theta wave production by as much as two hundred percent in a single session. This isn’t just about feeling calm; it’s about giving your brain the environment it needs to heal, process, and grow.
Whether you’re recovering from burnout, seeking a creative breakthrough, or simply craving a mental rest, understanding the brain wave shifts during float therapy shows how powerful the practice is. Floating is a scientifically backed method of shifting your brain into healing mode.
Floating isn’t just relaxation—it’s a scientifically backed method for improving physical recovery, reducing stress, and enhancing mental clarity. Are you ready to experience a brain wave reboot or ease that pain for yourself? Book your float session today at Cloud9 Float Spa and discover the power of intentional stillness.
“Because magnesium is essential for muscle function and recovery, athletes and individuals with chronic pain benefit from reduced lactic acid buildup and improved circulation, pain reduction, and post-workout recovery.”
—Lynn Brewer
Lynn Brewer is co-owner of Cloud9 Float Spa and Wellness Center, located at 13710 Metropolis Avenue, Suite 104, Fort Myers, FL 33912. Cloud9 Float Spa’s mission is to help increase clients’ health while providing them with a better quality of life. Make your reservation today by calling 239.887.4161 or visiting our website, C9floatspa.com. See ad on page 19 >
By Dr. Jake Berman, PT, DPT
W“We began with a hyper-specific glute activation exercise tailored to his left side. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t hard.
But it was exactly what his body needed to create stability and reduce torque on his spine.”
—Dr. Jake Berman, DPT, PT
hat if I told you that a golfer in his late 70s— 80% sure he was going to quit the game for good because of debilitating back pain—could not only play pain-free but also add 50 yards of carry to his driver? This isn’t a hypothetical. This is the story of my client Michael, and I’m going to break down the exact process we used to get him there.
When Michael first walked into my clinic, his mood was heavy. He told me he was close to hanging up his clubs for good and giving up his membership at Quail Creek. After years of battling nagging back pain that would spike after only nine holes, he was frustrated, defeated, and tired of patchwork fixes that didn’t last. At seventy-seven years old, he figured that maybe his body just couldn’t handle golf anymore.
What Michael didn’t realize was that his pain wasn’t a product of age—it was a product of movement dysfunction. And that meant there was hope. A lot of it.
Let’s look at the transformation in cold, hard numbers. When we started:
• 7-iron carry distance: 119 yards
• Driver carry distance: 151 yards (with pain)
After our program:
• 7-iron: 141 yards
• Driver: 201 yards (pain-free)
That’s a twenty-two-yard gain with a mid-iron and a jaw-dropping fifty-yard gain with the driver.
These numbers aren’t padded. They’re verified by launch monitor data, swing analysis software, and one very happy seventy-seven-year-old golfer.
The real breakthrough came in the first session— not from a swing tweak, but from our full-body movement assessment (note that I didn’t say anything about getting an X-ray or MRI…).
Michael is a left-handed golfer, and we found his left hip wasn’t functioning properly. The muscles weren’t stabilizing his hip or pelvis during his weight transfer in the downswing, which caused his lower back to absorb the excess stress. No wonder it hurt!
Instead of treating the symptom (the back), we treated the source—the hip. We began with a hyper-specific glute activation exercise tailored to his left side. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t hard. But it was exactly what his body needed to create stability and reduce torque on his spine.
Once his pelvis was stabilized, the pain quickly began to disappear. Then we reworked his golf swing—not to copy Rory McIlroy, but to create a powerful and repeatable motion that matched Michael’s body mechanics.
The Emotional Shift:
“I Can Do This Again”
More than just the numbers, the real win was emotional. Michael told me he had stopped playing eighteen holes because he’d pay for it the next day with stiffness and soreness. Golf had gone from something he loved to something he could no longer enjoy.
Now? He’s back to playing full rounds. He’s not dreading the final holes. He’s not limping into the car. In fact, he’s added extra range sessions to his weekly routine just because he can. He feels energized again—and not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.
Here’s the truth that nobody talks about: Senior golfers don’t need swing speed tips that are intended for twenty-five-year-old tour pros. They don’t need another lesson that ignores their physical limitations and only focuses on swing path and attack angle. They need a customized plan that starts with the body and builds a swing that works with it—not against it.
Michael’s transformation didn’t happen because of a magic club, a new driver, or a trendy training aid. It happened because we:
• Identified the root cause of his pain.
• Corrected his movement limitations.
• Built a pain-free, repeatable swing.
• Reprogrammed his body to create effortless power.
You don’t have to accept that pain is just part of getting older. You don’t have to settle for shrinking distances, shorter rounds, or giving up the game you love. There is a way forward—if you’re willing to identify AND fix the real problem.
Michael’s story is just one example, but I’ve seen it time and time again with senior golfers who are willing to think differently about their game. If that sounds like you, let’s talk.
Visit BermanGolf.com or BermanPT.com to schedule your free consultation and see what’s really holding you back.
Congratulations to Michael for joining the Fifty-Yard and Two-Hundred-Yard Clubs at age 77. We’re just getting started.
Dr. Jake Berman, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist and owner of Berman Golf, where they focus on helping aging golfers increase distance off the tee, shoot more consistently, and play more frequently. If you’re not ready to accept “getting old” as an excuse for a poor golf game, call Dr. Berman at 239.431.0232 to take advantage of a FREE 30-minute taster session!
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By Lori Hubbard, MA
D“This
therapy involves the safe administration of medicalgrade ozone improving your body’s capacity to combat pathogens, reduce inflammation, and even accelerate healing.”
—Lori Hubbard, MA
iet, sleep, and exercise remain the cornerstones of wellness. However, advanced intravenous (IV) therapies have been on the rise as a source of health—and healthy aging. Ozone with ultraviolet blood irradiation (UBI) and nutrient infusions, such as NAD+ and Niagen Plus (NR) IV, are effective therapies designed to support cellular function and alleviate symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, immune imbalance, and the natural challenges of aging.
Blood ozone therapy is a century-old form of ozone therapy that involves oxygenating the blood. This treatment can help detoxify the body, reduce inflammation, and enhance overall vitality. It’s also an effective option for boosting energy levels and supporting the body’s natural defenses.
This therapy involves the safe administration of medical-grade ozone improving your body’s capacity to combat pathogens, reduce inflammation, and even accelerate healing. The treatment involves drawing a small amount of your blood, then carefully combining it with medical-grade ozone. This enriched blood is reintroduced into your body through an IV drip, leaving many clients feeling revitalized.
How it works:
• Boosts oxygen utilization: Ozone can improve how cells use oxygen, which is critical for energy production and brain function.
• Supports immune modulation: UBI helps regulate immune activity, calming overactive responses while boosting underactive ones. This balance is valuable for people struggling with recurrent infections or inflammation.
• Antimicrobial e ects: Both ozone and UV light can help neutralize bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the blood.
Potential benefits:
• Improve immune function: Ozone stimulates the production of white blood cells, enhancing your body’s natural defense mechanisms.
• Promote faster healing: Increased oxygenation of tissues accelerates the body’s natural healing processes, potentially reducing recovery time.
• Enhances the body’s ability to use oxygen.
• Boosts energy levels: By optimizing cellular respiration, IV ozone therapy can help combat fatigue and increase overall vitality.
• Sharpens mental clarity: Improved oxygenation of the brain can lead to better cognitive function, focus, and memory.
By increasing the body’s ability to utilize oxygen, this treatment helps boost energy, enhance mental clarity, and ease pain.
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a molecule that occurs naturally in the body and is present in all living cells. It plays a central role in several biological processes and is essential for maintaining cellular health and function. NAD+ is associated with supporting mitochondrial function, which is critical for energy production. It also contributes to metabolism management and helps in DNA repair and cell signaling, regulating various cellular processes that are vital to overall well-being.
Unfortunately, NAD+ levels naturally decline with age, which is associated with fatigue, cognitive changes, and an increased susceptibility to illness.
How it works:
• IV infusions of NAD+: This method bypasses the digestive system, delivering the vital molecule directly into circulation for faster, more effective results.
• Higher NAD+: Greater availability of NAD+ helps cells generate more energy efficiently,
• Longevity genes: NAD+ activates “longevity genes” called sirtuins, which are associated with slower aging and increased stress resistance.
Potential benefits:
• Improved energy and focus: By supporting mitochondrial function, NAD+ helps reduce brain fog and fatigue.
• Neuroprotection: Research suggests NAD+ supports neuronal repair for healthy cognitive aging.
• Mood and resilience: Some individuals report relief from low mood or anxiety after NAD+ therapy.
• Anti-aging e ects: By activating DNA repair pathways and sirtuins, NAD+ may help preserve long-term cellular health.
Niagen is a branded form of nicotinamide riboside (NR), a vitamin B3 derivative. NR is converted into NAD+ inside the body. Pairing NR with NAD+ IV therapy can help maintain elevated NAD+ levels for a more extended period, providing a stronger and more effective treatment against cellular decline.
How it works:
• More e cient absorption: The NAD+ molecule itself is too large to be absorbed directly by cells. It must first be broken down into smaller precursor molecules before it can be utilized. Niagen is a precursor molecule and much more efficient at producing NAD+.
“NAD+
and Niagen Plus (NR) support are popular choices for promoting cognitive function, reducing fatigue, and regulating mood. By supporting these crucial processes, these treatments are crucial in maintaining optimal health.”
—Lori Hubbard, MA
• More e ective conversion: Niagen NRC, the active ingredient in Niagen IV, stands out because it can pass through cell membranes. Niagen IV increases circulating NAD+ faster than oral supplementation alone.
• Unmatched quality: Niagen IV is the gold standard NAD+ booster containing pharmaceutical-grade Niagen NRCl, a patented form of nicotinamide riboside chloride. Thanks to our leading science and rigorous testing, Niagen NRC remains the most efficient and effective way to boost NAD+ levels in the body.
Potential benefits:
• Faster NAD+ increase: With Niagen IV, your NAD+ levels peak much sooner than traditional NAD+ IV, with a seventy-five percent shorter infusion time.
• Heart and brain health: NAD+ with NR supports cardiovascular and brain health by enhancing mitochondrial activity.
• Quick boost: Experience a greater percent increase in NAD+ within hours of your infusion than with NAD+ alone.
• Minimal side e ects: Niagen IV is welltolerated with mild adverse effects. Many users even find it relaxing and experience minimal side effects.
NAD+ and Niagen Plus (NR) support are popular choices for promoting cognitive function, reducing fatigue, and regulating mood. By supporting these crucial processes, these treatments are crucial in maintaining optimal health.
Brain fog and chronic fatigue are common health issues that can be helped using these IV therapies:
• Better oxygen delivery: Ozone enhances oxygen metabolism, which is crucial for optimal brain performance.
• Cellular energy boost: NAD+ and NR restore mitochondrial function, powering mental clarity.
• Reduced inflammation: Ozone + UBI and NAD+ with NR have anti-inflammatory effects that reduce oxidative stress, a key contributor to mental sluggishness.
The result for many patients is improved focus, memory, and sustained energy throughout the day.
Aging is driven in part by mitochondrial decline, DNA damage, and chronic inflammation. IV therapies target these processes directly:
• Ozone + UBI: Promotes circulation and immune regulation, helping the body adapt better to stressors.
• NAD+: Activates sirtuins and DNA repair pathways, which are strongly tied to longevity research.
• Niagen Plus: Helps replenish declining NAD+ levels as we age, maintaining energy balance. By addressing the root processes of aging at the cellular level, these therapies offer a proactive approach to maintaining vitality well into later years.
Both ozone and UBI have immune-modulating properties, making them useful for balancing this response, while NAD+ is key in immune cell metabolism. Healthy NAD+ levels appear to help immune cells fight infections more effectively while reducing harmful chronic inflammation. For individuals prone to colds, lingering infections, or immune imbalance, these therapies offer an added layer of support.
If you’re dealing with persistent brain fog, fatigue, or want to support healthier aging and immunity, advanced IV therapies may be worth exploring with a qualified provider. Ozone + UBI works by optimizing oxygen use and immune balance, while NAD+ and Niagen Plus restore energy production and cellular resilience. Together, they represent a modern approach to enhancing vitality from the inside out.
Dave and Nick, co-owners of The DRIPBaR Naples, are the perfect team to provide health and wellness options. A retired pharmacist who owned a PCAB-accredited compounding pharmacy with a USP 797-compliant lab, Dave brings his expertise in compounding to The DRIPBaR Naples. Nick’s role is more business-focused, seeing the need for this unique community wellness opportunity in Naples. In addition to IV therapy, The DRIPBaR offers services such as IR sauna, halo therapy, red/blue light therapy, and leg compressions. Open seven days a week, The DRIPBaR is located at 11216 Tamiami Trail N. in the Riverchase Shopping Plaza. For more information, call 239.422.6044, email NaplesFL240@thedripbar.com, and visit https://www.thedripbar.com/Naples. See ad on Inside Front Cover >
By Steve Frank, Master Herbalist
Sleep-related breathing disruptions, commonly associated with aging, affect an estimated 25 million Americans on a regular basis. Because these disruptions can occur without fully awakening the person, there are likely millions more who remain undiagnosed. The condition prevents the sleeper from entering rapid eye movement (REM) and delta sleep, causing them to become anxious, cantankerous, and tired during the day. Additionally, due to the nature of the condition, it causes blood oxygen levels to be lower than normal for very prolonged periods. This is particularly damaging to the brain and heart. Common options to help include weight loss, nasal decongestants, surgery, and oral appliances.
Sleep Breathing Support™ was designed to do what the above solutions can’t: address the real cause of the breathing disruption.
When we enter stage two sleep in preparation for REM sleep, where dreaming occurs, muscular activity is inhibited. This is called reduction of muscle tonus, a function that occurs primarily to keep the dreamer from physically acting out the movements of their dreams. It is accomplished by suppressing the flow of signals from the brain along the spinal cord. Unfortunately, in those who struggle with sleep breathing disruptions, the reduction in muscle tonus allows the soft palate to sag, and the signal from the brain to the diaphragm that keeps you breathing gets inadvertently reduced in strength.
The result of this is that upon entering stage two sleep, breathing becomes shallower, the blood oxygen level drops, and the carbon dioxide level rises until the brain intervenes, causing the body to make a large and immediate inhalation. This causes a large pressure differential in the pharynx
and literally sucks the sagging soft palate into the airway. This obstructs the flow and causes a loud snort, partially or fully awakening the subject.
You see, the problem is not the sagging soft palate nor the rapid inhalation that sucks your soft palate into the airway. The problem is the reduced ability of the signal from your brain to produce sufficient breathing amplitude from your diaphragm. The appropriate intervention is to enhance the brain’s ability to communicate with the diaphragm, allowing you to breathe deeply and steadily throughout the night. That is exactly what the combination of herbs in Sleep Breathing Support™ is intended to do.
Each herb in Sleep Breathing Support™ has been chosen for its specific role in supporting nighttime breathing health:
• Lobelia: Used in small doses, can increase the level of respiration. By helping you breathe more deeply and steadily, it keeps the whole disruptive cycle from even beginning.
• Thyme: Improves the ability of the lungs to exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen, contributing to sufficient respiratory amplitude.
• Chamomile: Helps the subject relax for better rest.
• Cramp Bark: Supports the loosening of upper trapezius muscles.
Sleep Breathing Support™ by Nature’s Rite is a natural way to reduce sleep breathing disruptions and achieve a restful night.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
“The
problem is not the rapid inhalation that sucks your soft palate into the airway. The problem is the reduced ability of the signal from your brain to produce sufficient breathing amplitude from your diaphragm.”
—Steve Frank
Nature’s Rite is a family-owned company, based in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded on the belief that natural, whole-ingredient remedies can address health concerns effectively and gently. The company’s founder and master herbalist, Steve Frank, personally experienced sleep breathing disruptions himself. Determined to find a better solution, he spent years researching the condition and uncovering its true cause. Drawing on his deep knowledge of herbs, he developed an effective combination that supports deep, steady breathing throughout the night. Steve personally used it for years without any mask or tubes and enjoyed restful sleep well into his later life. His discovery continues to help many today. Sweet dreams. For more information, visit us on mynaturesrite.com or call us to the 800.991.7088. See ad on page 7 >
“I look into my client’s soul history, soul purpose, soul lessons, wounds, traumas, and gifts and talents. By doing that, my client can gain a bigger picture of themselves and their life journey. The healing and transformation can happen much faster this way.”
—Agnes Daddona, MA, Psychic Medium Counselor
By Agnes Daddona and Dr. Diane Hayden
Irecently had the opportunity to work with Agnes Daddona, a Psychic whose Holistic Spa and Intuitive Counseling services are based out of Avon, CT. After that incredible experience, I decided I wanted to reach out to learn more about her background and her practice (my comments are in bold).
How are you different from other psychics out there?
I am not only a psychic. I am also a Medium, Counselor, Healer, Life Coach, and Spiritual Teacher, so I can help my clients in many ways. I have a unique gift of intuition, which has run in my family for generations, from my grandmother to my mother to me.
Another factor that makes me different is that I am highly educated. I received my master’s degree in sociology in human behavior. My other areas of study are psychology, art therapy, and theology, and I have earned over thirty certifications in healing arts. All of this enables me to establish a good therapeutic foundation for my clients.
I worked with you, so I can attest to that for sure! From my perspective, what makes you different is that, compared to other psychics I have been to, sometimes they will only give you the information. And with you, there is healing, soul lessons, and teachings. You are helping that individual to integrate things and grow.
That’s for sure! I specialize in removing the roots of traumas, blocks, and fears. I also love activating my clients’ soul purpose, gifts, and full potential so they can manifest their biggest dreams. I offer my clients a kaleidoscope of enhanced services, treatments, and products to help them continue their healing journey.
What’s the difference between a psychic and a medium?
A psychic is a gifted person who can see the future. A medium is someone who can communicate with loved ones on the other side. I am lucky to have both these skills.
Why are your Intuitive Readings so popular? I know you have a thriving business based on word of mouth.
From the very first moment, I focus on answering my client’s biggest questions and connecting them to their angels, spirit guides, and loved ones on the other side. To clarify, every soul has this Divine support.
I have a holistic approach, addressing physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual levels. I look into my client’s soul history, soul purpose, soul lessons, wounds, traumas, and gifts and talents. By doing that, my client can gain a bigger picture of themselves and their life journey. The healing and transformation can happen much faster this way. It’s important to know how it looks on the other side to navigate this side better.
Why do you do your work?
I am an old soul who received a calling to help people (and the planet) heal and thrive. I love people! My work is my passion and joy. I have experienced many hardships, so I understand what my clients are going through. People come to me not only to ask about their future but also to find solutions to the issues and problems in their lives.
How do your clients succeed with your support?
My clients are both women and men, and I also work with teenagers and children, especially sensitive ones. My clients gain clarity about their life, activate their higher soul purpose, heal, manifest soulmate relationships, find a better job, make more money, balance their life, and most importantly, manifest their dreams and a happier life.
What is required from your new clients when they come to a reading for the first time?
I always recommend that my clients write their questions down to prepare for their intuitive reading. I offer in-person sessions at my spa in Avon. I also do phone and Zoom sessions. During the phone or Zoom sessions, I only need my client’s date of birth to access their energy. In-person and virtual sessions work essentially the same way.
Ready to connect with your angels and transform your life? Visit www.agnesdaddona.com to schedule your session. Whether in-person or virtual, I'm here to support you every step of the way.
Agnes Daddona, MA, Intuitive Counseling, is one of the best Psychic/ Mediums and healers in New England. The gift of intuition has run in her family for generations. For over twenty years, Agnes has worked with thousands of people worldwide through Psychic Readings, Mediumship, Channeling Angels, Counseling, Healing, and Teaching in English and Polish. Agnes has transformed many people’s lives to meet their dreams. She continues to solve the most difficult issues when no one else can help. Agnes offers sessions in her spa in Avon, CT, over the phone or via Zoom. To book your Intuitive Reading, contact Agnes at AgnesDaddona.com , email agnes@ IntuitiveCounselingLLC.com, or call 860.941.2667. See ad on page 15 >
By Nina Azwoir, First Vice President of Investments, Wintrust Wealth Management
As Southwest Florida shifts into its busier season, with tourism and prices at their annual highs, it can be argued that now is a good time to put a fresh set of eyes on your financial plan.
Too often, one expert opined, financial plans (and planners) move straight to the “solution” phase, without stopping to ask some basic questions about what someone is trying to achieve and what their real problems are. What will constitute “success” for you over the next few years, not just in financial terms, but in life terms, too? Are you allocating your time and money in line with your intentions, what you find fulfilling, and what brings you joy? These questions are incredibly personal; no one else can answer them for you.
Whether you are well into retirement or early in your career, it can be easy to backburner questions like these and move straight to logistics, determining your asset allocation and minimizing taxes, for example. Those are all worthy pursuits, but if you find yourself with a bit of extra time to think a bit more broadly and introspectively about your financial plan, here are some of the key questions to ask yourself.
As most investors know, the biggest determinant of whether you achieve financial success is how much you spend versus how much you save. However, as important as it is to ensure your intake exceeds your outgo, budgeting can
seem like sheer drudgery. Here is an alternative approach to budgeting. Begin taking note of how various discretionary expenditures affect your feelings. It can be incredibly illuminating. Much of the scientific research on spending and happiness suggests a clear connection between spending on experiences versus material possessions. Many would also argue that many of life’s most memorable experiences cost very little.
Investors should strive to make informed allocations of financial capital across various opportunity sets, not just saving versus spending, but also debt paydown versus investing in the market, determining how much to allocate to retirement savings versus college, and so on. These are crucial topics worthy of significant analysis and introspection. Ultimately, the right answers are a matter of math (expected return on “investment”) and personal preference. Many of us pay much less attention to how we allocate a scarce resource, our time, even though that allocation will ultimately have a greater impact on whether we feel like we have met our goals. Of course, some of our time expenditures are predetermined, such as the time we spend working or caring for children. Even within those allocations, it seems worthwhile to be more mindful, to help ensure that your allocation of time in a given day, week, or year aligns with your goals and vision for that period. An audit of how you currently allocate your time is a good starting point. Technology tools can help you determine
how much time you waste (uh, spend) on social media and other activities that could be detracting from your productivity and happiness.
Many of us are operating with an incredibly vague notion of how much we really need to save to achieve our financial goals and find security. Even financial planners might rely on rules of thumb when setting your retirement savings target. For example, they might assume that you will need 80% of your working income in retirement and extrapolate the rest of your plan from there.
As humans, we often have a natural tendency to reach for more, more, more—regardless of whether that “more” is actually bringing more happiness and security. Trying to keep up with the people around us, in terms of possessions and outward signs of success, can get exhausting and may not get us any closer to our life’s goals. That is why, in this period of limited activity, spending, and social contact, it is worthwhile to think through your own definition of enough, both now and for the future.
Whoever your trusted legal counsel may be, they will bring up the subject of a living will. A living will is as its name suggests—a document of your will (choices) while you are alive so that your wishes are known if at some point you are unable to communicate them. Your living will could include instructions related to resuscitation, feeding or breathing tubes, and pain medication. It is crucial to make the decisions now to keep your future self safe.
My mother-in-law originally made a verbal decision that her son and daughter would make the choice together about what would happen to
her if she were to be on life support. Her daughter said she would keep her on and pray for a miracle, whereas her son said he would make the difficult decision to remove life support. When my motherin-law saw the disagreement her children had regarding the decision, she realized that drafting a living will could put an end to their disagreement. After your make your decision and draft your living will document, you should share your wishes with loved ones to help release potential angst and arguments. It will also give you the opportunity to discuss your choices with anyone who may raise objections.
When taking a strictly financial and estate-planning perspective, leaving a “legacy” is one of those topics that can seem overly narrow. It is about leaving assets behind for children, grandchildren, and other loved ones, as well as making charitable donations if we so choose. It is about ensuring we don’t burden the people we care about. These are crucial considerations, and that is why everyone needs an estate plan that includes wills, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations, among other key documents.
While you are at it, why not think big picture about your legacy, too? What do you hope people will say about you after you are gone? What life philosophy or pieces of wisdom do you hope that your loved ones will always associate with you? If you find yourself with a bit of extra time for introspection, write down a few ideas along these lines. And no, you are not too young to start thinking about this. You can find templates for creating a personal legacy online, but some good advice is not to overthink it. Balance more serious ideas with more lighthearted ones. We all have credos that we live by; make sure your loved ones know yours.
“Much of the scientific research on spending and happiness suggests a clear connection between spending on experiences versus material possessions. Many would also argue that many of life’s most memorable experiences cost very little.”
—Nina Azwoir
Nina Azwoir, First Vice President of Investments, Wintrust Wealth Management. © Morningstar 2020. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission. This information may answer some questions but is not intended to be a comprehensive analysis of the topic. In addition, such information should not be relied upon as the only source of information, competent tax and legal advice should always be obtained.
Securities, insurance products, financial planning, and investment management services offered through Wintrust Investments, LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC), founded in 1931. Trust and asset management services offered by The Chicago Trust Company, N.A. and Great Lakes Advisors, LLC, respectively. Investment products such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds are: NOT FDIC INSURED | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT A DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
This article was created for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation or an offer to buy any security or instrument or to participate in any trading strategy. The topics discussed may not be suitable for all investors. Investors must make their own decisions based on their specific investment objectives, financial circumstances, and tolerance for risk. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
Asset allocation cannot eliminate the risk of fluctuating prices and uncertain returns. All calculations are hypothetical and are provided for informational purposes only. They are not intended to represent any specific return, yield, or investment, nor are they indicative of future results.
See ad on Back Cover >
By Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD
Abiological dentist seeks the safest, least toxic and most conservative way to accomplish modern dentistry that is safe, functional, durable and esthetic. It is interesting how the term alternative medicine refers to a new holistic, integrative, and functional approach to health...yet it has been in existence for thousands of years, and “modern medicine” is only about 100 years old.
Most people seek alternative treatments due to a personal medical condition that has not been resolved. Others are well-versed in holistic ways and understand and live by it. We have known for a long time that there is a connection between the mouth and the body. Bacteria from the mouth travel through the bloodstream to the organs. As a biological dentist, my mantra remains: A healthy mouth is a healthy body and a healthy life.
Science is dynamic and constantly changing mostly when it shows that theories do not conform to observation. The absolutes I learned in dental school have changed, and they continue to change everyday. I was taught to combine mercury with other metals and place in the mouth as a restoration, and that this was completely safe. A toxic compound became “safe” when placed in a tooth. I was taught to recommend traditional orthodontics to crooked teeth, never mind if there was a deficiency in growth patterns, underdeveloped jaws, tongue and lip ties (a dealbreaker for being able to nurse) or, most important, upper airway deficiencies. We believed that clenching, grinding, or bruxism was purely stress related. Today we know better.
Our bite is directly related to our posture, our breathing, chewing, and our gut health and microbiome to name a few. There is always a root cause. We just need to dig deep to find it. There is no “one-shot” appliance that will fix myofunctional disorders, just like there is no one pill that will cure you. Research shows that the diaphragm and the back of the tongue work together. The tongue has sixteen muscles and some consider it an organ, yet today we know that chewing is a lost art. Why are so many Americans taking digestive enzymes when the parotid gland is the largest maker of enzymes? They have even discovered an extra set of salivary glands in the throat that no one ever knew existed.
When we change our mindset and think outside the box, we realize that what we thought was absolute law in science is just an interpretation of a moment in time. These interpretations are indirectly affected by politics, social circumstances, and religious practices and beliefs.
Today, we recognize that traditional dentistry focuses on mechanical issues, whereas biological dentistry addresses systemic and nontoxic concerns. If more health care providers communicated with each other and collaborated in their patients’ health, the root cause would be easier to identify.
Ask questions! Most dentists today are mercuryfree; however, very few are mercury-safe. Being mercury-safe means protecting the patient from harmful mercury vapors while removing them.
Specialized equipment is necessary, along with a strict protocol. A practice needs to be SMARTcertified. The safe mercury amalgam removal technique (SMART) is designed to minimize exposure to mercury vapors and particles for both patients and dental staff during the removal process.
A SMART-certified dentist has completed extensive training to safely remove mercury amalgam fillings using specialized techniques, equipment, and personal protective gear to minimize harm to patients and staff. Our office protocols have always included universal precautions, but our SMART certification enables us to take even greater and additional precautionary measures than a traditional dental office. Our office is already biological, so we have been following these protocols for a long time. Here are a few of the state-of-the-art offerings we have in our practice.
Every person is different, and every person’s toxicity level is unique. This is why the most critical variable is finding the root cause. We encourage compatibility testing with everyone. It is extremely important to ensure that each person is compatible with the materials and only then choose the appropriate ones. We all want to enjoy a high quality of life. I work hard to find the root cause so that patients can know their own bodies and can live, play, travel, and dance to their heart’s content. It all begins with good food—and food is medicine.
We have state-of-the-art air purification and water purification systems. Our air conditioner has always had MERV 14 or better filters. Our air is surgical-grade, which not only traps bacteria, VOCs, mold spores, off-gassing, parasites, and other toxins but also kills them. We have specialized evacuation systems for aerosols, which we use on every patient, even for routine cleaning. This aerosol EVAC system has silver-impregnated activated carbon and an electrostatic filter.
We have invested in specialized UV-C filters (222 nm–254 nm) that are left on overnight. Our ozone machine produces fresh ozonated water throughout the day. In fact, this ozonated water runs through our systems, ensuring that no biofilms form in any of the water lines. We have specialized PPE made to order, and our masks are P100 respirators.
We use homeopathics as much as possible and have them available pre- and post-treatments. We encourage healing with high-grade supplements and disinfect with laser and ozone/O2 treatments. We are also completely metal-free. Our restorations are BPA-free and BisGMA-free. We also use fluoride alternatives and educate our patients on biomimetic toothpastes and adjuncts. We manufacture our own sanitizers using 151-proof alcohol and high-grade, non-GMO, expeller-pressed, and/or cold-pressed organic essential oils, which we also offer to our patients. Our patients are offered a choice of pre-treatment rinses: essential oil mouthwash, colloidal silver mouthwash, ozonated water, or a peroxide rinse, all for 60 seconds.
We collaborate with integrative doctors, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, healers, anti-aging specialists, and the broader medical community because it’s all interconnected. What happens in your mouth does not stay in your mouth. Be proactive, not reactive.
What we do as a profession is not compartmentalized. Compatibility matters, technique matters, isolation matters, quality materials matter, overall health of a patient matters, ability to process toxins matters, and genetics matter. Our staff is regularly trained in this comprehensive protocol. We go above and beyond the required standards set by the CDC, FDA, and ADA for the health and wellbeing of patients and staff. . This choreography is constantly evolving, allowing us to become better and healthier. We are a team, and we are all learning every day; we even learn from our own patients. We embrace change and welcome challenges.
“If
more health care providers communicated with each other and collaborated in their patients’ health, the root cause would be easier to discover.”
—Dr. Josephine
Perez, DMD
Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD, has been practicing dentistry for almost 35 years. She is a graduate of Tufts University School of Dentistry in Boston and interned at the New Orleans Coast Guard/Navy Base. Her holistic approach to dentistry encompasses each person’s unique and entire (or whole—holistic) state of physical and emotional wellbeing. Maintaining health through preventive measures and oral disease treatments is her priority. Dr. Perez focuses on the underlying condition rather than just treating the symptoms, testing for biocompatibility to identify pathways that reduce inflammation, and applying biocompatible and biomimetic materials, supplements, and essential oils to restore and strengthen the oral cavity, ultimately benefiting the whole body. After decades of restoring and transforming smiles, Dr. Perez has integrated total wellness into her oral health enhancement practice—a revolutionary style of dentistry. Visit Pure Dental in Naples at 4444 Tamiami Trail N, Ste. 6–7, call 239.692.9623 or visit www.puredentalnaples.com. See ad on page 21 >
ACUPUNCTURE/ TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
Dr. Richard Hiler
Feel Amazing Spine & Joint Institute Naples,FL • 239.330.1000 sta @feelamazing.com feelamazing.com
Feel Amazing Spine and Joint Institute focuses on Stem Cells for spine and joint, neuropathy solutions for legs, feet, and hands, and Spinal Decompression to relieve chronic or severe back and neck pain. Call for a free telephone consultation with a Chiropractic Neurologist or for a free recorded webinar.
BIOLOGICAL DENTIST
Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD Naples, FL • 239.692.9623 puredentalnaples.com
Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD, has been practicing dentistry for 29 years. She is a graduate of Tufts University School of Dentistry in Boston and interned at New Orleans Coast Guard/Navy Base. Her holistic approach to dentistry encompasses each person’s unique and entire (or whole, therefore holistic) state of physical and emotional well-being. The ability to maintain health through preventive measures and treatments of oral disease is her priority. Dr. Perez focuses on the underlying condition, rather than only treating the symptoms. She tests for biocompatibility to find pathways to reduce inflammation.
BODYWORK/ CHIROPRACTIC PHYSICIAN/MASSAGE THERAPY/PHYSICAL THERAPY
Dr. Jake Berman, PT, DPT Berman Physical Therapy Naples, FL • 239.431.0232 Drberman@bermanpt.com Bermanpt.com
Most people think pain is a standard part of the aging process. We help people age 50+ avoid surgery and pain pills so they can keep active, mobile, and living their best life!
Naples Robotic Pain Relief
Theresa Edmunds, CHC, RPT Naples, FL • 239.778.6842 theresa@naplesroboticpainrelief.com naplesroboticpainrelief.com
This innovative technology uses the static pressure of the robotic arm to release muscle tension, lengthening muscles back to their original state. This reduces pressure on joints/bones and increases flexibility. Clients report pain resolution, greater mobility, recovery from injury, increased range of motion, and a general feeling of well-being.
Dr. Richard Hiler
Feel Amazing Spine & Joint Institute Naples, FL • 239.330.1000 sta @feelamazing.com feelamazing.com
Feel Amazing Spine and Joint Institute focuses on stem cells for spine and joint, neuropathy solutions for legs, feet, and hands, and spinal decompression to relieve chronic or severe back and neck pain. Call for a free telephone consultation with a chiropractic neurologist or for a free recorded webinar.
Julie Meer
Dorn Pain Academy LLC Naples, FL • 239.315.1975 juliemeer@dornacadintl.com dornacadintl.com
Pain relief for all ages through intuitive touch and unique global modalities including Meer Method® (U.S.), Spinal Flow® (Australia), and Dorn Method (Germany). There is an innate instinct and intellegence inside every human body to restore, reduce and revise itself of pain or discomfort. We just need to help it along!
Nina Azwoir
Wintrust Wealth Management Naples, FL • 239.697.5204 nazwoir@wintrustwealth.com nazwoir.wintrustwealth.com
Nina Azwoir is a licensed Financial Advisor with over 17 years of industry experience in the realm of wealth management, financial planning, and retirement solutions. Nina has the knowledge and perspective to help
keep her clients and their financial future on a steady course as they navigate through life and retirement. Her highest priority is her clients and their families. Reach out to Nina for your complimentary financial plan.
Susie Bagwell
I Love Oils, Inc. Fort Myers, FL • 586.604.3500 susie@iloveoils.com iloveoils.com
Susie Bagwell has been using essential oils for over 20 years and helps her customers with cutting edge natural solutions. Her “Smell ’em Wear ’em Drink ’em” slogan applies to more than just certified pure essential oils. Her dōTERRA brand products also include bioavailable supplements and exclusive home care products.
Jenni Berman, PA-C, CPT, CNS Berman Health and Wellness Naples, FL • 239.431.0232 bermanpt.com/wellness
Berman Health and Wellness is a Functional Medicine Center that helps individuals reach their goal weight and optimize their gut health, while avoiding needless medications and achieving the highest quality of life imaginable. Our goal is to evaluate the metabolism, gut health, and bloodwork to optimizeeach aspect of the client.
Theresa Edmunds, CHC Naples, FL • 239.778.6842
theresa@naplesroboticpainrelief.com naplesroboticpainrelief.com
Educating clients about all aspects of natural health. Truly healthy food, living chemical-free and detoxing, healthy home, emotional well-being, reducing stress, movement, supplements/homeopathy. Helping you recover, enhance, and protect your health. Providing the foundation you need to live your best life full of energy and vitality.
Denise A. Pancyrz, CHN, DSS™
CuraVida Wellness Solutions
Marco Island, FL • 877.287.2843
denise@mycuravida.com MyCuraVida.com
The conventional approach to managing type 2 diabetes long term is not effective. Holistic lifestyle coaching helps to reverse the effects of diabetes, guiding you away from counting carbs and diets and leading you to recognize factors that affect your glucose. Lower your A1c, stabilize glucose levels, increase your energy, and lose weight naturally.
Lisa H Sprague MSS, PTA, LMT Good News Doctor Naples Naples, FL • 239.821.1223 GoodNewsLisa@aol.com goodnewsdoctornaples.com
This is where cellular science meets holistic healing! I believe that all healing starts at the cellular level. Cutting-edge therapies, diagnostics, and natural solutions target the root causes of cellular dysfunction and help you recover and optimize your performance, health, and well-being from a deeper level and at a faster rate. Restore to optimal health with a holistic approach. It is never too late. I hope to see you soon!
Susie Bagwell I Love Oils, Inc.
Fort Myers, FL • 586.604.3500 susie@iloveoils.com iloveoils.com
Susie Bagwell has been using essential oils for over 20 years and helps her customers with cutting edge natural solutions. Her “Smell ’em Wear ’em Drink ’em” slogan applies to more than just certified pure essential oils. Her dōTERRA brand products also include bioavailable supplements and exclusive home care products.
Wintrust Wealth Management
Nina Azwoir, First Vice President Naples • 239.697.5204 www.nazwoir.wintrustwealth.com nazwoir@wintrustwealth.com
Nina Azwoir is a licensed Financial Advisor with over 17 years of industry experience in the realm of wealth management, financial planning, and retirement solutions. Nina has the knowledge and perspective to help keep her clients and their financial future on a steady course as they navigate through life and retirement. Her highest priority is her clients and their families. Reach out to Nina for your complimentary financial plan.
Cloud9 Float Spa Fort Myers • 239.887.4161 c9floatspa.com
Cloud9 Float Spa & Wellness Center will be celebrating our 6th anniversary on April 1. What an exciting time it has been as we continue educating clients on the many benefits of magnesium for health. Many lives have been restored, reclaimed, and enriched by adding floating to their weekly routine. Make your appointment today to start enriching your life.
Dr. Steve Case, MD Body Restore of Naples Naples,FL • 239.241.2869 4760 TAMIAMI TRAIL N bodyrestorenaples@gmail.com
Dr. Case is an orthopedic surgeon with twenty-five years of experience. He provides the lastest generation platelet-rich plasma and stem cell treatments, peptides, and testosterone replacement to avoid major surgeries, decrease pain, and optimize joint mobility and function. We help you get your life back.
Dr. Richard Hiler
Feel Amazing Spine & Joint Institute
Naples, FL • 239.330.1000 sta @feelamazing.com feelamazing.com
Feel Amazing Spine and Joint Institute focuses on stem cells for spine and joint, neuropathy solutions for legs, feet, and hands, and spinal decompression to relieve chronic or severe back and neck pain. Call for a free telephone consultation with a chiropractic neurologist or for a free recorded webinar.
Dr. Carol Roberts, MD Best Medicine
Sarasota, FL • 941.404.8030 bestmedicinefl@gmail.com BestMedicine.US
Best Medicine is the holistic/ functional practice of Carol L. Roberts, MD, providing longevity services, including natural hormone replacement therapy, and second opinions for chronic conditions undertreated by conventional medicine. Located in Sarasota, Florida, Dr. Roberts has decades of experience in the field and truly listens to her patients.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Berman Physical Therapy
Dr. Jake Berman, PT, DPT 501 Goodlette Rd N, C-100, Naples, FL 34102 • 239.431.0232 Drberman@bermanpt.com Bermanpt.com
Most people think pain is a standard part of the aging process. We help people age 50+ avoid surgery and pain pills so they can keep active, mobile, and living their best life!
Berman Health and Wellness
Jenni Berman, PA-C, CPT, CNS 501 Goodlette Rd N Unit C202 Naples, FL 34102 • 239.431.0232 bermanpt.com/wellness
Berman Health and Wellness is a Functional Medicine Center that helps individuals reach their goal weight and optimize their gut health, while avoiding needless medications and achieving the highest quality of life imaginable. Our goal is to evaluate the metabolism, gut health, and bloodwork to optimize each aspect of the client.
HOLISTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY/ HYPNOTHERAPY
Christina & Charles Patti
MY Self Wellness
Bonita Springs, FL • 239.908.9958 info@myselfwellness.com myselfwellness.com
MY Self Wellness offers hope and healing for mental health challenges. As an awardwinning ketamine clinic, we combine ketamine treatment with holistic practices for a complete mental reset. Our compassionate approach has helped thousands reduce reliance on pharmaceuticals and alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma/PTSD, and chronic pain.
Lisa H Sprague MSS, PTA, LMT
Good News Doctor Naples Naples, FL • 239.821.1223 GoodNewsLisa@aol.com goodnewsdoctornaples.com
This is where cellular science meets holistic healing! I believe that all healing starts at the cellular level. Cutting-edge therapies, diagnostics and natural solutions target the root causes of cellular dysfunction and help you recover and optimize your performance, health and well-being from a deeper level and at a faster rate. Restore to optimal health with a holistic approach. It is never too late. I hope to see you soon!
NUTRITION/REGISTERED DIETITIAN/PRIVATE CHEF
Jenni Berman, PA-C, CPT, CNS Berman Health and Wellness Naples, FL • 239.431.0232 www.bermanpt.com/wellness
Berman Health and Wellness is a Functional Medicine Center that helps individuals reach their goal weight and optimize their gut health, while avoiding needless medications and achieving the highest quality of life imaginable. Our goal is to evaluate the metabolism, gut health, and bloodwork to optimizeeach aspect of the client.
Denise A. Pancyrz, CHN, DSS™
CuraVida Wellness Solutions
Marco Island, FL • 877.287.2843 denise@mycuravida.com MyCuraVida.com
Chronic disease is first addressed with finding root cause. Each wellness package starts with functional medicine testing hair analysis setting the stage for a sound nutritional foundation. We are a comprehensive integrative virtual wellness center resolving type 2 diabetes, digestive issues, weight loss, joint pain, and more.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
Nature’s Rite
Onlines • 800.991.7088 www.mynaturesrite.com
THERAPY, HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Dr. Gaynell Anderson Core to Floor Wellness Naples, FL • 239.398.5631 info@coretofloorwellness.com coretofloorwellness.com
A concierge Physical Therapy service specializing in building strength, enhancing wellness, and promoting health longevity. Specialty programs include breath and health longevity, focusing on core strengthening and recovery resilience, pre/postnatal pelvic care, postmenopausal pelvic care, and hypopressive technique training for postural, core, and breath strengthening.
Dr. Richard Hiler
Feel Amazing Spine & Joint Institute Naples, FL • 239.330.1000 sta @feelamazing.com feelamazing.com
Feel Amazing Spine and Joint Institute focuses on stem cells for spine and joint, neuropathy solutions for legs, feet, and hands, and spinal decompression to relieve chronic or severe back and neck pain. Call for a free telephone consultation with a chiropractic neurologist or for a free recorded webinar.
Naples Robotic Pain Relief
Theresa Edmunds, CHC, RPT Naples, FL • 239.778.6842 theresa@naplesroboticpainrelief.com naplesroboticpainrelief.com
This innovative technology uses the static pressure of the robotic arm to release muscle tension, lengthening muscles back to their original state. This reduces pressure on joints/bones and increases flexibility. Clients report pain resolution, greater mobility, recovery from injury, increased range of motion, and a general feeling of well-being.
Candice Rosen RN, Health Counseling
Candice Rosen, RN candicerosenrn.com
Candice P. Rosen is a registered nurse, social worker, nutritionist, health counselor, and author. She is the creator of The Pancreatic Nutritional Program and Data-Driven Fueling. She has spent her life’s work focused on improving the wellness of both her clients and her community. She advocated for preventative medicine, improved disability access, promoted maternal and infant health, and worked to bring awareness to the global obesity and diabetes epidemics.
Berman Golf
Dr. Jake Berman, PT, DPT 501 Goodlette Rd N, C-100, Naples, FL 34102 • 239.431.0232 distance@bermangolf.com Bermangolf.com
Most golfers think a deteriorating golf game is a normal part of getting older. We help aging golfers increase distance off the tee, shoot more consistently, and play more frequently!
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Dr. Diane hosts a monthly LIVE Zoom call with a holistic practitioner panel of experts on all things holistic.
Wednesday, October 29th, 12pm-1pm Mental Health and Stress Reduction
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