Natural Nutmeg August 2011

Natural Nutmeg Connecticut's Resource For Living Naturally

Body and Soul Bernie Siegel, MD

A Zipline Adventure Right in Your Backyard

August 2011

Augmenting the Immune System in Response to Childhood Vaccinations Ayelet Connell-Giammatteo, PhD

An Eco-Luxury Waterfront Staycation The Saybrook Point Inn & Spa Diane Hindman, PhD

Words That Heal: Communicating with Kids Funda M. Gulmen, ND, MS

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In this Issue Augmenting the Immune System in Response to Childhood Vaccinations Ayelet Connell-Giammatteo, PhD 11

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ur mission is to provide valuable insight, information and resources that will allow our readers to maintain a healthy, active, sustainable lifestyle. Natural Nutmeg contains timely information on natural health, complementary and alternative medicine, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, and the products and services that support good health.

A Zipline Adventure Right in Your Backyard Diane Hindman, PhD 28

PUBLISHERS Dr. Diane Hindman Chris Hindman Publisher@naturalnutmeg.com

Planning Ahead for Healthy Lunchboxes Debra Anastasio, ND 32

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Deb Percival Deb@naturalnutmeg.com

Words That Heal: Communicating with Kids Funda M. Gulmen, ND, MS 36 An Eco-Luxury Waterfront Staycation: The Saybrook Point Inn & Spa Diane Hindman, PhD 38

ADVERTISING SALES Dr. Diane Hindman advertising@naturalnutmeg.com

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Departments

ADVISORY BOARD

Prescription for Living 10

Natural Nutmeg Magazine

Know Your Herbs 23

Healthy Self 26 Healthy Cooking 27 Calendar 41 Resources 43

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Melissa Bochet melissa@naturalnutmeg.com

Deanna M. Cherrone, M.D. • Desmond Ebanks, M.D. Henry Sobo, MD • Ann Aresco, N.D. • Debra Gibson, ND Richard Duenas, D.C. • C. Evers Whyte, DC, DACBN David Johnston, DO • Tom Moorcroft, D.O. Kenneth Hoffman, D.Ac, LAc, CCH

News&Notes 8

Supplements 101 24

Aimee Chandler aimee@naturalnutmeg.com

P.O. Box 447, Avon, CT 06001 Ph. (860)206-9500 • Fax (860)263-8505

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In keeping with our concern for the environment, Natural Nutmeg is proudly printed on recycled paper with soy based inks.

Natural Nutmeg is a free publication supported solely by our advertisers and distributed throughout Connecticut. Please call for a location near you. If you would like to receive Natural Nutmeg at your place of business please call (860) 206-9500 or email to publisher@naturalnutmeg.com. © 2007-11 by Natural Nutmeg, LLC. All rights reserved. Parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, we require that permission be obtained in writing. 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.

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s it me or does it seem like time is speeding up? I don’t know about you, but I feel like the summer is just flying by and I’m scrambling to get everything accomplished. Does this sound like your life? The alarm clock goes off, you hit the snooze button several times leaving just enough time to grab a quick shower and breakfast – well, that’s optional. You rush to the office, work hard all day, rush to get the kids from one sport to the next and come home exhausted. Dinner is whatever is quick and easy and you get ready to start the cycle all over again tomorrow. Are you wondering how long you can keep it up? Do you have a dream for your life to be different but can’t imagine how it’s possible?

It is possible and it starts with setting an intention every day even for the simple things you need to accomplish in your life. When you set an intention you make it clear to yourself and others exactly what you plan to do. With intention, the Universe will bring what you want into alignment with your life.

I can recall times when I had a specific intention and times when I didn’t have any intentions or I wasn’t clear on my intentions (like now!) and my life was visibly different during each. I remember having a clear intention for finishing my dissertation and the steps I needed to take each day to get there. My life flowed so easily and even though there were a few bumps along the way, every day moved me closer until I accomplished my goal. On the other hand, during the times in my life when I wasn’t setting intentions, it seemed I just drifted from one thing to the next and had a really hard time accomplishing much of anything.

Try starting each day by setting an intention for the day. You can even set intentions for different aspects of your life – one for your work, one for your relationship with your family, one for your body. You may want to set an intention to go to bed thirty minutes earlier so that you can wake up a little earlier to meditate or just enjoy some quiet time. How about setting an intention to be mindful before each meal to make healthier choices and only eat when you are hungry? It may help to place a sign somewhere in your home that reminds you to set an intention each day. It can also be helpful to choose the times of day that will prompt you to set your intention.

Setting an intention is the first step in moving you closer to having a more fulfilled life, maybe even your dream life. Try it for 30 days and see what amazing things can happen. If nothing else, you will at least break the cycle of feeling stressed out and running from one thing to the next. By setting your intention each day, you will have more control over what you choose to do on a daily basis even in a jam packed day. And at the end of the day you can relax knowing that tomorrow you will set a new intention to have another amazing day.

In health and happiness,

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news & notes Taoist Healing Arts Day Retreat in West Hartford

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n Saturday August 20th, the Wu Healing Center and SunDo Mountain Taoism will host a one-day healing retreat featuring both Chinese and Korean Taoist healing practices. The retreat, which will be held 8:30 am to 6:30 pm, offers workshops that address the “physical, emotional and mental dimensions of healing, and foster our innate potential to heal ourselves and help others,” according to Dr. Ming Wu, a tai chi & qi gong master and the director of Wu Healing Center.

“The workshops are for mental and physical well-being,” said Dr. Wu. “They present two different cultures and their approach to Taoist healing — the tai chi and qi gong practices of China and the SunDo-Taoist yoga and meditation practice of Korea. Through breath and movement, both arts develop internal Qi energy for body & mind unity.”

This retreat is for anyone interested in how Qi energy cultivation not only improves health but opens the way toward a more enlightened life. Workshops include: Taoist Yoga Foundational Exercises, Principles of Qi Gong, Taoist Five Element Healing, Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan, Breath Meditation and an Introduction to Taoist Chanting & Healing Sounds.

In the Sundo-Taoist practice, Qi energy is cultivated in the lower tan dien, or second navel chakra, through rythmic breath meditation.

The benefits of this breathing are numerous, including increased oxygen circulation to the cells, better internal organ functioning, regulation of the endocrine glands, improved emotional health and sharper mental clarity. SunDo-Taoist Master Hyunmoon Kim states, “These healing arts are especially helpful to holistic health practioners because they provide a way to first heal ourselves so we can then help others to heal.”

Taoist Healing Arts Day Retreat is being held at the 45 South Main Street Building in both the Wu Healing and SunDo Mountain Taoist Center. The two Centers are sponsoring this program to give people the chance to experience these traditional Taoist practices in one location. The retreat also features a Korean-style lunch buffet made by SunDo instructors and a Cooking with Qi Class & Dinner with Dr. Wu.

Morning Program 8:30-9:15 Tea Ceremony 9:30-10:50 Taoist Yoga Foundational Exercises 11:00-11:50 Principles of Qi Gong 12:00-1:00 Korean Lunch Buffet

Afternoon Program 1:15-2:00 Guided Breath Meditation 2:00-2:50 Taoist Five Element Healing 3:00-3:50 Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan 4:00-4:30 Taoist Chanting & Healing Sounds 4:30-6:30 Cooking with Qi & Dinner

Cost for the entire retreat is $60 for the day, or bring a friend for the whole day and pay just $45 each. Guests may also register for a halfday - the morning program is $25 and the afternoon program is $35 per person. To register, call the SunDo Center at 860.523.5260 or email questions@sundo.org.

A Locally-Grown Health Care Movement Adds A New In-Depth Community Herbalist Course To Their Educational Offerings Based on the success of the Farm to Pharmacy program from Goldthread Farm & Apothecary

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ith increasing numbers of Americans turning to complementary and alternative medicine and at least a third of the population using herbs as natural remedies for various symptoms, the seeds of a grassroots health care revolution are being planted in the fertile hills of Western Massachusetts.

Building upon the curriculum of their 7-month long Farm to Pharmacy program, now in its third year, Goldthread Herb Farm & Apothecary is offering an 11-month long, in-depth educational opportunity for those interested in learning to use herbs as the foundation of a cost effective, sustainable health care system at the individual, family, and community level. The new Community Herbalist Program will begin in September, 2011 with classes taking place over the course of eight weekends throughout the year and culminating in a week-long intensive in August 2012. Classes will be held at Goldthread’s three-and-a-half acre medicinal herb farm in Conway, MA and at the Goldthread Herbal Apothecary in Florence, MA. Appropriate for health care professionals seeking to expand their knowledge of complementary medicine as well as those without previous experience who have a sincere interest in herbal medicine, participants in the Community Herbalist Program will study herbal theory and philosophy from a traditional Western, Chinese, and Ayurvedic perspective, gaining in-depth knowledge of materia medica, formulation, traditional diagnosis, pathophysiology, herbal therapeutics, and traditional and modern dietetics.

The experiential approach to learning that sets Farm to Pharmacy apart from other herbal programs will continue in the expanded Community Herbalist curriculum. Students will have the opportunity to dig in the dirt, plant, harvest, and get to know medicinal herbs firsthand; learn about the distillation of essential oils with Goldthread’s on-site 85-gallon wood-fired distiller; and participate in the process of making a wide variety of commonly used preparations such as tinctures, salves, infused oils, creams, teas, decoctions, syrups, elixirs, cordials, compresses, poultices, tablets, powders, medicinal ghees, honeys, and more.

Tuition for the program is $2,750 before August 1 and $3,500 after, with limited work study available. Details and the full curriculum are at Goldthead’s website: www.goldthreadapothecary.com.

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Sacred Rivers Yoga offers Yoga Therapy classes for those with Multiple Sclerosis

Train your mind.

Open your heart.

Change the world.

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acred Rivers has been working with the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, a non profit organization benefiting all people whose lives are touched by this devastating disease. Yoga Therapy classes are free to those diagnosed with MS with funding provided by the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. The classes are taught by Paula Scopino, owner and director of Sacred Rivers Yoga, as well as Susan Taff and are held on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:45 am.

All faith traditions welcomed meditation study yoga daeyensa.blogspot.com 860-459-6255

Sacred Rivers Yoga is located at 2934 Main Street, Glastonbury, CT. 860.657.9545 www.sacredriversyoga.com.

Taking Care with Cynthia Ebanks, R.N.

providing support, guidance and inspiration for families challenged by illness, injury and dementia.

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With Labor Day around the corner, the end of summer is not far off. Hopefully, you’ve given yourself a chance to slow down, catch a few waves and even a few zzzz’s. If not, start adding YOU into the mix while balancing responsibilities to ailing and aging parents. Continue long after summer ends.

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Buy ServiceS. Whether it’s lawn care, errands or help with a loved one, what do you need relief with? Can you afford to buy some help? Can you afford not to?

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When you buy services or let go of tasks, you’re “buying time” for yourself. It’s an exchange of resources that should be used for your well-being, not for more chores! Be kind to yourself.

Assisted Living In The Home A registered nurse, trained in dementia and Alzheimer’s, Cynthia Ebanks founded New England Nightingales to help families in the Farmington Valley area provide for loved ones at home. Call, click, or scan icon for information or a free home assessment.

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prescription for living

by Bernie Siegel, MD

Body And Soul

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ot too many years ago there were a series of conferences entitled, Body & Soul. I always felt people were more likely to bare their souls than their bodies and I did at least one presentation exposing parts of my body to make people aware of how they felt about their own bodies. It was interesting to have people, who I thought had nice looking bodies, come up and tell me I could do that because I looked good. It was sad to hear how they viewed themselves, versus how I saw them.

Today I feel much more strongly about getting in touch with and exposing our souls.

We need to respond to our souls and live a soulful life. I can’t put into words how I would define soul but it contains our spirit and our deepest needs and meanings related to our life and how we live it. And too often we never speak about the needs and meanings until a crisis or disaster occurs to awaken us to life. I think we know when we are living a soulful life by how our bodies and particularly our hearts feel in relationship to what we are doing, thinking and feeling.

I recently received a book from a therapist who is treating someone with what we commonly call multiple personality disorder.

Jung discussed, and I am convinced, that we are all multiple personalities. I know, and so does my wife, from the way I behave that things come out of me that I cannot explain.

As my wife says, “They come from God knows where.”

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So I fully accept that within me reside many individuals. Fortunately for me, because of how I was raised, the majority are nice guys who enjoy helping people. When you grow up with abuse there are many multiples who are the suffering child or vicious killer striking back at the painful world of their early life.

I was wondering, when you massage people do you really know who you are massaging or which of the multiples needs the massage but doesn’t get it because a more aggressive personality wants it and takes over the body being massaged. I am not kidding when I say these things. I know from experience and reported cases that one personality can have allergies, diabetes, asthma and other afflictions within the same person and a shift to another personality eliminates the disease.

Let me present you with some new words which may help you remember this message. I create these words regularly. I must admit that most of the time they come from accidents on the keyboard of my computer or some other personality doing the typing.

The first relates to your work and is MEASSAGE. It says to me that there is a message in our touch. In other words every massage carries a precious message. I was rereading The Anatomy of Love edited by Ashley Montagu in 1975 and again was so impressed by the power of touch to communicate love and how its absence led to an

almost 100% mortality rate in orphanages of the last century when caregivers were fearful that their touch spread infections from infant to infant.

The next word is GGOD and to me that means doing Good things as our creator would want us to do them. In a sense, as they say, what is important is not to know God but to imitate God and when you do God things you are doing just that.

Then there is LIOVE. For me that is living and loving. Those two things should never be separated but mankind is a problem due to its lack of completeness. Remember this is not about trying to be perfect but being complete. Again I would say that is soul work and when you are complete your life will be about living and loving.

Then a bit of publicity for my book 365 Prescriptions For The Soul. It contains 365 messages similar in a sense to what I write here but at the end of each I place a SOULUTION. Not a solution which I see as something on a more practical level but a Soulution which will give you and your life deeper meaning and satisfy the feelings your heart and soul yearn for. When you find your Soulutions, spread the Meassage, do Ggod works and Liove, your body and soul will find atonement or as someone within me spells it; At One Ment with you know who.

Bernie holds a support group in Simsbury at Wisdom of the Ages the first Wednesday of each month from 7-9pm. Wisdom of the Ages, a special place to nurture your spiritual side. It's filled with items to calm the mind, heal the body & empower your spirit. They also provide massages & monthly meditation classes. Wisdom of the Ages is owned

by Bernie's son & daughter- in-law, Keith & Jane Siegel. Located at 1408 Hopmeadow St. Simsbury. Please call for info or to register for Bernie's group. (860) 651-1172, www.wisdomoftheages. biz, berniesiegelmd.com. See ad on 37.

Bernie also runs a Woodbridge Support Group which meets the Second and Fourth Tuesday evenings of each month at Coachman's Square, Bradley Road, Woodbridge, CT. Contact: Lucille Ranciato at 203-288-2839 or email her at lranciato@yahoo.com.

Augmenting the Immune System in Response to Childhood Vaccinations

By Ayelet Connell-Giammatteo,PhD

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he vaccine controversy has been a source of heated debate amongst the natural and traditional medical and parenting communities for many years. Many don’t understand what a vaccine is or how it works, let alone the potential issues that may arise from vaccinating. The history of vaccines has been well documented by many researchers.

The most notable scientists in vaccine history are Edward Jenner and Louis Pasteur. The term “vaccination” was coined by Edward Jenner in 1796. The first vaccine came from the cowpox virus and was used to combat smallpox in humans. The well known Louis Pasteur continued Jenner’s research to develop current day vaccines such as anthrax and rabies. Pasteur later published the name “vaccine”, giving homage to Jenner’s discoveries. Following these researchers, Maurice Hilleman developed many of our current day vaccines, including measles, mumps, hepatitis A and B, chickenpox, meningitis and more. There are many different types of vaccines today. Though historically, vaccines have played a significant role in reducing infectious disorders such as small pox, it is today’s usage of vaccines in civilized communities throughout the US and Europe that is the focus of this heated debate.

The Issues: Vaccines and Heavy Metals The Rise in Autism Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a vaccine as “a preparation of killed microorganisms, living attenuated organisms, or living fully virulent organisms that is administered to produce or artificially increase immunity to a particular disease.” This means that a vaccine is composed of living or dead pathogens that are aimed at increasing a person’s immune response. Typically, in addition to the pathogen, vaccines include heavy metals that are used as preservatives such as the well known “thimerosol” (organic mercury), aluminum, and

more. For the past two decades, the potential negative effects of these heavy metals have been fueling the vaccine debate.

The issues that arise from vaccinating are multiple. Many families avoid vaccinating their children out of religious belief. Some do not vaccinate because of apparent medical issues with their children.

Depending on the medical practitioner, avoiding vaccinating your child when they have health issues is often not even considered.

The most notable issue with vaccines today is the questionable correlation with the rise in autism spectrum disorder. A recent 2011 study published by the American Journal of Psychiatry found 2.64% of children or 1 in 38 children have autism. These numbers have skyrocketed in recent years. Many people attribute this rise in autism to vaccines.

Recently in the news, there have been some concerns voiced about the validity of the famous Danish study, “Thimerosal and the occurrence of autism: negative ecological evidence from Danish population-based data”, published in Pediatrics in 2003. This study found that there was no link between Thimerosol and autism. The study was funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). One of the primary researchers involved in this study, Paul Thorson, who was in charge of managing the monies for the study, was recently charged with fraud related to the funding of the project. He has been cited for academic misconduct by Aarhus University in Denmark where the study took place and is being charged by the US Department of Justice with embezzling a $1 million grant for autism from the CDC. Thorson has been involved with multiple studies defending Thimerosol as a preservative in multiple vaccines. This Danish study is the primary study cited when discussing the correlation between vaccines and autism.

The Potential Effects of Vaccinating Today, there is a tremendous amount of anecdotal evidence supporting the correlation between autism and vaccines. As a health practitioner, I treat many children with autism spectrum disorder.

Often, I hear from parents that they can remember when their child’s symptoms and changes started, correlating it directly with their child receiving one or multiple vaccines.

Consider two children of similar histories and similar body make-up. Why would one develop autism following vaccinations and the other not? In this country, it is common for children to visit their family doctor and receive multiple injections with levels of heavy metal way above recommended limits. But even with just one vaccine, is the heavy metal level too much for a child’s body? What if the child had some kind of illness? What if that illness affected their immune system? What if this illness was not apparent and easily missed by the family doctor? Would that child be more affected by the vaccine then another healthier child? Would there be a greater possibility for the onset of autism? There are so many questions today regarding the issue of whether to vaccinate your child. A helpful

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resource in sorting out all of these questions is the National Vaccine Information Center at www.nvic.org. In addition to reviewing all the current-day issues with vaccinations, the website also offers information on state-bystate regulations.

The Immune System The immune system is a complex system of the body that has many components, including the lymphatic system which supports drainage of waste from the body, the liver which is in charge of detoxification or breaking down of toxins, the bowel and bladder for optimal elimination and excretion of toxins from the body, and even the skin as a route of elimination. The immune system’s greatest task is twofold: to break down toxins and excrete them. If toxins build up, this can have damaging effects on the whole body, including contributing to general inflammation, an increased load on the heart, neurological impairment, and so much more.

In children and adults, this can manifest as a myriad of issues such as fatigue, learning deficits and decreased mental clarity, behavioral issues, chronic pain, and more. It is helpful to imagine the immune system as our foundation. Without a healthy immune system, our bodies go into slow motion and begin to store toxins. This type of toxicity could even lead to depression and anxiety.

Vaccines target the immune system with the overall goal of increasing immunity.

However, in a child or adult who has a challenged immune system, the vaccine process could be derailed significantly. Consider the previously mentioned child who has unde-

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tectable immune deficiency. That child visits their family doctor for a routine exam and during the visit receives multiple vaccines, commonly exceeding the allotted amount.

This child would be affected strongly by the elevated heavy metal and pathogen load.

This toxicity could contribute to a change in health for that child which could manifest as any number of issues, including learning, behavior, socialization, and more. It could contribute to autism or another neurologic impairment.

Though the issue of vaccinating or not vaccinating your child is a comprehensive decision-making process that ultimately is made by the parents, hopefully after careful and extensive thought, there is a lot that a parent can do to support their child’s immune health by making dietary and lifestyle changes as well as implementing other alternative health modalities to promote immune competence.

Augmenting the Immune System Dietary and Lifestyle Changes Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Gluten Elimination There are many ways to augment the immune system through dietary and lifestyle changes. One such approach is to implement an anti-inflammatory diet for the family. By decreasing general inflammation as well as decreasing the allergen load in the body, the person’s immune system becomes stronger. The foremost strategy in antiinflammatory eating is a gluten elimination

diet. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and oat. Gluten is pro-inflammatory.

This means that when a person ingests or is exposed to gluten, the level of inflammation in the body is increased. This is the case for ALL persons. Gluten free cooking and gluten free products are widely available today.

One of my favorite gluten free cooking books is “Gluten Free Baking Classics” by Annalise Roberts. Her follow up book, “The Gluten Free Good Health Cookbook” is a great resource for gluten free living as well.

Other Elimination Diets A second strategy to decrease inflammation in the body through diet is to consider performing systematic elimination diets of other well known allergens. Some of these allergens include: soy, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy (casein), eggs, and shell fish. Often, people suffer from various food sensitivities.

An elimination diet can help to hone in on the particular allergies that are contributing to a variety of body issues. An elimination diet is best performed when adopted for a minimum of three months and performed 100%. As for gluten, it is presenting as toxic to all persons and a gluten elimination diet is best continued long term. When performing an elimination diet, look for a decrease in signs and symptoms beyond just digestion.

Food sensitivities can contribute to all kinds of body issues, including headaches, joint pain, learning deficits, behavioral problems, and so much more.

Refined Sugar Another step to augmenting a person’s immunity through dietary changes is by reducing refined processed sugar. Refined sugar is the major culprit behind so many of today’s illnesses, including the enormous rise in childhood and adult obesity in this country. Some of these refined sugars, such as aspartame, have been found to be carcinogenic. Processed sugar is neurotoxic as well.

This means that it contributes to degeneration of the nervous system which ultimately can lead to illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and more.

Toxic Foods In addition to reducing intake of allergenic and ‘unhealthy’ foods, it is also beneficial to consider decreasing ‘toxic’ foods in our diet. For example, foods that are overly processed and have preservatives can cause inflammation in our gut as well as other problems. Often, we have limited knowledge about how our food is processed.

The food may be presented as natural or organic but still have toxic consequences.

For example, consider almonds. In 2007, the Almond Board at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) determined that almonds could potentially carry harmful bacteria and ruled that all almonds would have to be pasteurized. Even today, there are no raw almonds available because of this USDA edict.

When ingesting almonds today, because of the processing involved, they are more inflammatory and more persons are sensitive to them. Other toxic foods include foods with synthetic chemical based additives and preservatives. The easiest way to avoid these toxins is to limit processed packaged foods.

For the typical child, this is difficult to avoid altogether. But minimizing the amount and limiting purchase of packaged foods to those that do not have refined sugar and preservatives is ideal.

Household Chemical Exposure Minimizing exposure to toxic foods is a great start to reducing inflammation and augmenting immunity in the body. Another common source of toxicity is what we use to clean our home and wash our clothes.

Household cleaners and detergents can be full of toxic chemicals. Everyday exposure to these chemicals can contribute to immune deficiency and general inflammation. The major role of the liver which is the primary organ for detoxification is to break down toxins so that they can be easily excreted NaturalNutmeg.com

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from the body. The liver considers these toxic chemicals as xenobiotics and does not have a successful way of breaking them down.

If the body does not have the ability to excrete a toxin, it will store it. The longer the exposure to these chemicals, the more there is storage of toxins. This storage of toxins can lead to illness. There are many alternatives today to chemically-based household cleaners.

Eating Organic Buying produce that is organic or natural and free of pesticides and growth hormones is an important step in leading a toxin-free life. It is true that organic foods are more expensive. Hopefully, one day, this will change. One option is to search for a local ‘CSA’ or community supported agriculture co-op farm that sells memberships. These farms will provide you with great natural produce through the warm months of the year and often they provide a winter share as well. CSA memberships are typically inexpensive options. One example is ‘Holcomb Farm CSA’ in Granby. A great website to search for local CSAs in your area is: www. ctnofa.org/CSAs.htm. Another great option is local farmer markets and farm stands. Farmer markets and farm stands can be a lot of fun for children and they provide you with the opportunity to buy straight from the farmer.

When considering other types of natural foods, there are many ‘regular’ supermarkets that sell natural meats without growth hormones or other synthetic additives.

Augmenting the Immune System with Integrative Manual Therapy In addition to changing your diet, there are other steps that you can take to improve your overall immune health. Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT), developed by Dr. Sharon Weiselfish-Giammatteo, is one great option. IMT targets the immune system by promoting circulation to and from immune tissue as well as improving overall lymphatic drainage in the body. It is a non-invasive therapy that can be performed on all people, children and adults, with all types of body issues. A typical IMT treatment plan begins by reducing inflammation in the body. As this is achieved, more specific dysfunction is addressed. Therapists trained in IMT can be found through www.InstituteofIMT.com.

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Taking Precautions Making dietary and lifestyle changes to augment immunity is an essential step to improving overall health. The recommendations listed previously are beneficial whether choosing to vaccinate or not. If the choice is to vaccinate, there are several precautions that help to mitigate potential side effects: 1. Whenever possible, only vaccinate with one vaccine at a time.

2. If possible, spread vaccines apart by six months or more. This way, you can be sure that your child has not had any delayed reactions.

3. Never vaccinate on a day when your child is presenting with any signs of sickness such as a cough, fever, or vomiting.

4. Request separate vaccines when available rather than combined such as the MMR. 5. Take steps to change diet and lifestyle to ultimately augment immunity prior to vaccinating.

Making the choice to lead a healthy life for you and your family is vital for prevention of all illnesses. There is so much that can be done in childhood and early adulthood to promote a long and healthy life.

Considering these fundamental steps will help you and your family to achieve this optimal level of health.

Ayelet Connell-Giammatteo, PhD, PT, IMT,C is the Practice Manager and Director of Pediatrics for Regional Physical Therapy and The Institute of Integrative Manual Therapy (IIMT), headquartered in Bloomfield, CT. She is also the Dean of the Connecticut School of Integrative Manual Therapy (CSIMT). Dr. Connell-Giammatteo has taught courses in IMT nationally and internationally for over 15 years. She received her doctoral degree focusing in neuropediatrics, with a concentration in autism. Dr. Connell-Giammatteo is a Physical Therapist and Certified Integrative Manual Therapist. She has been practicing in the field of IMT for over 15 years. Dr. Connell-Giammatteo is a graduate of the Institute of Functional Medicine’s program “Applying Functional Medicine into Clinical Practice” focusing on nutritional wellness. She is also a local of this community and has been living in the Greater Hartford area for many years.

In addition to managing the clinical and educational arms of IMT, she also integrates a healthy lifestyle at home with her husband, children, and dogs. See ad on page 30.

A Taste of Farm-to-Table Dining in Connecticut

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ome of my favorite things about summer are the fresh fruits and vegetables right off the farm. Heirloom tomatoes, an array of lettuces, hand-picked strawberries and blueberries, colorful peppers and eggplant, and succulent corn on the cob… you can’t beat it if it’s local. And what’s even more exciting for me, as I love to eat out, is that I’m seeing more and more restaurants offering farm-to-table menus. Even better is that the reason these chefs are choosing these menus is because they want to use local foods and produce. Not only does it taste better than something that’s been trucked for thousands of miles, but it’s also more sustainable and it supports our local farms. So, Natural Nutmeg hit the road this month to check out and interview some of the best farm-to-table restaurants in the state.

We couldn’t get to all of them, so some are just listed at the end of this article for your reference.

If you live in the Farmington Valley you’ve got a few amazing choices. From Papacelle Ristorante in Avon to Farm Restaurant in the Avon Old Farms Hotel to the Mill at 2T in Tariffville, you’ll find delicious and unique options on the menu. If you live and/or work in downtown Hartford, stop by The Market at Hartford 21, the first urban grocery store in the city that offers local foods prepared daily. And if you live downstate, try the Good News Café or Zeeburger in Woodbury where Carole Peck has been dishing up farm-to-table cuisine long before it was popular!

Our first stop took us to Papacelle Ristorante owned by Dave, Adam and Mama Pianka and located in Riverdale Farms in Avon. Their philosophy, inspired by Dave’s grandfather who owned a hotel and restaurant in Napoli, is to take what you have and make something with it while being true to the ingredients. All his dishes have only 3-4 ingredients and every item is made in-house.

“In Italy, we have different dishes based on what kinds of foods are available depending on the season, so I brought this idea to our restaurant says Pianka.” Their principle regarding cooking is down-to-earth…keep it fresh, keep it local, keep it simple. They visit local farms scouring for the best ingredients weekly, which allows them to be creative and offer an ever-changing menu. One of the most unique things about Papacelle’s menu is that it’s recently changed to an ala carte style where you can mix and match your entrée by choosing a meat, pasta and vegetable and basically customize your entire meal.

And Dave is always looking for ways to take classic dishes and make them healthier.

My favorite item on the menu…the grilled romaine, which we featured in the April issue of Natural Nutmeg. A spin-off from the traditional Caesar salad, Dave adds garlic, vinegar and olive oil to the Romaine and lightly tosses it on a wood fired grill. Another dish you won’t want to miss is the cavatelli (which literally melts in your mouth) with braised rabbit, carrots and broccoli. And you can enjoy your amazing meal on their patio with a beautiful view of Avon Mountain. Visit www.papacelle.com.

A short drive down the road brought us to Farm Restaurant in the Avon Old Farms Hotel. Under the direction of Chefs Carl and Ian Rynecki, the mission is to provide the finest refined farm cuisine as possible by utilizing free-range, humanely raised beef and fowl; sustainable seafood, both wild and farmed; and certified organic produce sourced exclusively from Jude Hollow Farm.

In fact, Jude Hollow actually lays out their beds specifically to the chefs’ requests so that they can plan their menu in advance based on what produce is being grown. This also allows them to be creative and change the menu every few days so there’s always something new and fresh to choose to tempt your palate. Chef Ian, originally from Simsbury, traveled throughout the country refining his talent at many different restaurants before settling at Farm. He calls the cuisine here “refined rustic food” and his goal is to take one item and pair it with what naturally goes well with it – but, typically it’s not what you would expect! For example, my favorite item on the menu…local day boat scallops with braised short ribs (that will melt in your mouth) and cauliflower puree. It’s not often you see seafood paired with beef (other than filet mignon) on a menu but it definitely works and the combination is absolutely delicious. Instead of mashed potatoes, he chooses a cauliflower puree that gives the illusion of a starch and is quite tasty. His next spin on the traditional for summer…a classic New England lobster roll – but with pickled red onion, mayo and hot smoked paprika – can’t wait to try that!

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Another unique thing about the Farm menu, and quite honestly something I think every restaurant should do, is offer half plates. Most of the time I feel like I’m bombarded with food and end up taking half of it home. Farm offers an affordable list of 200+ wines, most of which are biodynamic and certified organic, and produced from small-holder vintners worldwide. And they are concerned about the environment as well; 100% of the used fry oil is made into bio-diesel fuel, and they’ve implemented a broad composting program to supplement the existing recycling plan to support their vision of a cleaner, greener environment.

Visit www.fermerestaurant.com.

Heading back to Tariffville through Simsbury and passing two beautiful farms, The Pickin’ Patch and Rosedale Farms, we arrived at The Mill at 2T, owned by Ryan and Kelleanne Jones. If you want exclusivity, this is the place to go, as the restaurant seats just 30 diners and is only open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner. Ryan and Kelleanne’s mission is to have a connection to their diners and to be able to offer dishes with hard to find ingredients that you can only get in small supply. “I look for things that you don’t see at other restaurants,” Chef Ryan says. “Many times I’ll just call up a farm and say ‘what do you have today’, and that’s what I’ll work with.” With this kind of flexibility, the menu is seasonal, mood-driven and often changes daily. Concerned with the environment and sustainability, Ryan will seek out the most unique fresh fish he can find – which may include: sturgeon, red drum, escolar or soft-shell crab. You won’t want to miss this dining experience, but you better plan ahead as they often book out a month in advance for weekend reservations.

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And while their restaurant is small and intimate, the Jones’ were definitely thinking big when they opened The Market at Hartford 21, the city’s first downtown food market. Even if you don’t live in Hartford, you have to check this place out. Everywhere you look there is a plethora of culinary delights, all freshly prepared and healthy, ranging from gourmet pizza (probably the best I’ve tasted in CT) to the house-made noodle bar to a fresh salad bar and a unique selection of prepared foods all made from scratch. In fact, the food here is prepared around the clock, almost made on demand. Reasonably priced, you can get a large, made-to-order salad for $7 and the Ramen noodle bar with veggies and chicken, shrimp or beef starts for as little as $5. Some other cool things…a cereal bar in case you forget breakfast, a gelato bar, coffee bar, sushi delivered from Ginza, a butcher shop offering local, grass-fed meats, a fish counter and all kinds of gluten-free products and staples. Rivaling Whole Foods, it’s well worth the trip downtown! Visit www. themillat2t.com. www.themarket21.com.

Heading out of Hartford and downstate, our last stop brought us to the Good News Café and recently opened Zeeburger, both owned by Carole Peck and her husband and partner, Bernard Jarrier. One of the oldest farm-to-table restaurants in the state, the Good News Café has been serving up locally sourced cuisine since 1993. And if you’re in the mood for something more casual, Zeeburger is the newest culinary enterprise from renowned Chef Peck. Zeeburger offers a spin on the classic burger joint with affordable, fresh, local, organic ingredients in a fun & casual atmosphere. Here you can indulge in the finest “fast-food”, such as local grass-fed beef, Kobe beef hotdogs

and house-made milkshakes with delicious natural flavors. As Carole says, “Come by for a little Sizzle & Shake!” With over 40 years of experience in the food business, Peck knows what excites and delights diners. And she’s committed to supporting local farms.

“I’m really happy people are now concerned about using farms, because it was a pity that 10 years ago we were losing farms left and right,” she said. “We’ve lost more farms than we should have. That’s what being local is about, understanding these farmers need to make enough to make a living.” Her philosophy…to cook well, you need good quality ingredients and the best are sourced locally.

Something you don’t want to miss on the menu at Good News Café is the beet salad with avocado, peas and cucumbers with a savory horseradish and lime cream on top. www.zeeburger.com.

Although we would have loved to have stopped at every farm-to-table restaurant in Connecticut, time did not allow. Some other places you don’t want to miss are listed below. While all are open year-round, don’t let the summer season pass without visiting some of these places for gastronomic delights…not only will you find some of the best dishes in the state, you’ll also be supporting our local farms.

Firebox - Hartford The Dressing Room - Westport LeFarm - Westport Still River Café - Eastford Napa and Company - Stamford Farmer’s Table – New Canaan Husk - Collinsville Saybrook Point Inn & Spa - Old Saybrook Submitted by Dr. Diane Hindman

Hypnomassage:

The Ultimate Therapy for Reducing Stress

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t’s no secret that being a relaxed twenty first century citizen is no easy task. Even before the new millennium had arrived, we were being primed for gut wrenching catastrophe. The year 2000 or Y2K, according to the “experts” was going to unleash all sorts of calamitous consequences. Our bank computers were going to erase all records of our savings and planes were going to fall from the skies as air traffic screens went blank. So many Armageddon-like predictions were made and thankfully those predictions didn’t come to fruition. And if you compound those contrived predictions with actual events such as 9/11, the near bursting of the financial bubble or climate change and other real worries, you can become stressed to the breaking point. This is why we are a nation on mood altering medications.

The cumulative effects from the repeated exposure to all of these predicted and real life events are quite detrimental to the human psyche. As we are hard wired to react to those things we perceive to be threatening through the “flight or fight” mechanism, we imprint the feelings deeply within us and this often results in chronic anxiety, an undercurrent of fear and also the physical expressions of these stressors. This negativity may show up as back problems, high blood pressure, headaches, poor sleep, panic attacks or even serious illness. Therefore, we must find powerful and effective strategies and processes to rebalance our minds, our bodies and our emotions. That is where hypnosis comes in.

Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state that we enter into on our own on a very regular basis. We go into trance day in and day out because our minds need to conserve energy. As intense thinking, analyzing or planning consumes a good deal of our energy, our minds often slip into daydreaming, a form of hypnotic trance to lower fuel consumption and give the brain a rest. All well designed systems do this just as a car idles to lessen its use of gas and our computers may enter hibernation mode to lessen power usage when not being used. Our brains and bodies are infinitely more complex than those mechanisms, and so nature has provided us with this ability to downshift too.

We organically slip into a state that involves less thinking. When we slip away from the critical filter of analytical thought our minds become more suggestible. I like the analogy that the mind is like a computer

in the sense that the conscious, analytical mind serves as the program of the computer to structure thought like a Word perfect or Excel spreadsheet and puts information into all the right places. Everything is supposed to make sense there. But the subconscious mind acts like a hard drive, storing information, feelings and habits. No logical structure there. Often those parts conflict and produce tension within. Fears and anxious feelings may arise from deep within and express themselves in the conscious thought.

When you are hypnotized, the conscious mind quiets down and then the hard drive can absorb ideas and suggestions that conform to the individual’s aspirations and belief system. Because that deeper part now has new information stored deep within, it will send better feelings to your conscious mind. It is important to emphasize that the mind will only accept suggestions that conform to the individual’s beliefs, so you cannot be made to do anything that runs contrary to those beliefs.

Even if you just go into hypnosis and aren’t given any suggestions, you will feel wonderfully refreshed afterwards. To continue with the computer metaphor, the very experience of being hypnotized essentially removes the old clutter stored on the hard drive. In other words, you feel calmer and quieter inside after the experience. Your mind will be able to focus better mentally,

the chatter within subsides and you become less emotionally reactive to aggravation or fear. For many, the effects are long lasting.

The body relaxes and can function better as stress hormones recede.

Now couple the powers of hypnosis with the therapeutic and soothing benefits of massage. Here the body relaxes the mind.

And yet massage is amazing in a very similar way. With a professional massage you may have gone into trance. The massage therefore preps your mind for the hypnosis. The massage process also helps break down muscle inhibiting enzymes and flushes toxins from your body. Beyond that, Swedish massage for example, and other slow stroking movements are thought to have a sedating effect leading to activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. So imagine how powerful the synergistic effects are when these two forces meet. Imagine getting a profoundly relaxing massage followed by a subconscious-motivating hypnosis session. Think about liberating yourself from stress, fear or an unhealthy habit.

Submitted by Bob Pargament, CH. Bob is the owner of The Westchester Hypnosis Center based in Harrison, NY and conducts sessions at Ridgefield’s Move2Wellness, 203-4032522. www.hypnosiswestchester.com, 800675-7583. See ad page 9.

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B

y now, it is impossible to get behind the wheel of a car and not be aware of the dangers of cell phone use. And it’s not just texting, it’s eating, putting on make-up, or just thinking about something other than driving. The risks of distracted driving are real and well-known. Still, every day, countless drivers, particularly teenagers and young adults, continue to put their lives – and the lives of others – at risk because their hands aren’t always on the wheel or their minds aren’t on the road.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 1,000 people died in cell phone-related crashes in the United States in 2009 alone. That should be enough of a deterrent, but it is not.

A recent AAA/Seventeen magazine study found that 86 percent of teens ages 16-19 still engage in distracted driving behavior despite being aware of the dangers.

Connecticut and other states have imposed texting bans, but many safety advocates and industry experts argue that tickets and fines alone will not make the problem go away. “Tough laws are important, but they are not enough to create change,” said John Donohue, chairman, president and CEO of the Arbella Insurance Group. “Inexperienced drivers need further education and ongoing reinforcement about how to stay safe on the road. That’s our goal. Education is the key and Distractology 101 can help.”

“Distractology 101” is a program sponsored by the Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation in partnership with re18

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searchers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. It features a 36-foot-long neon-yellow mobile classroom, outfitted with state-of-the-art high-tech driving simulators that give new drivers (usually teens) a real-life look at the potentially disastrous effects of distracted driving. The driving simulator tour has been travelling to select communities throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island since early 2010, but with the help of Bearingstar Insurance, arrived in Connecticut for the first time this year. “We are living in a world where people think it’s acceptable to drive around with cell phones in their ears and texts flying,” said Rich Toce, customer service manager for Bearingstar Insurance, which sponsored tour visits to Fairfield and Farmington this past spring.

As part of the Distractology 101 training, teens and other new drivers get behind the wheel of the driving simulator to see firsthand how distraction can make the difference between being safe and being a statistic. The students face a number of scenarios based on realworld examples that illustrate the dangers of distracted driving and teach participants how to anticipate hidden hazards, react to the road and avoid accidents. The program even has its own vocabulary, with buzzwords like “textident” (an accident caused by texting), “snackcident” (juggling drinks and food while driving) and “gabcident”(driving while talking on the phone).

During the simulation, which looks similar to an arcade game, Distractology 101 instructor Topher Paone interacts with drivers,

texting them questions such as, “what’s your favorite sports team?”

In turn, students are asked to text back a response. “Kids are surprised. They think they can do it, but they always crash. And if they manage not to crash, they’re doing something else illegal, like driving over the sidewalk, or swerving all over the road.” Paone said.

The Distractology 101 program is free and the driving simulator training takes a total of about 45 minutes. As an incentive, students who complete the course are rewarded a $15 Mobile/Exxon gas card, courtesy of Arbella. But the training doesn’t end there.

The students are then asked to complete the online portion of the curriculum. At www.DistractU.com, they take another training lesson for reinforcement of what they learned in the classroom. Finally, they are asked to make a safe driving pledge. Parents are also encouraged to participate in the online training. Most importantly, the program stresses the importance of parents being positive role models for their children by putting their own cell phones down while they are driving.

“We can talk all we want about the different risks and distractions, but when teens come in and experience these real-life scenarios the message suddenly hits home,” said Toce. “They see how easy it is to crash and what an impact two seconds can have.

It definitely changes the way they think about driving and legitimizes the importance of focusing 100 percent of your attention on the road.”

In Connecticut, Bearingstar Insurance representatives say the response to Distractology 101 was overwhelming and they are already working with Arbella to bring the mobile classroom back to the state again next year.

To find out when the trailer is coming to a community near you, log on to www.DistractU.com/Students/Tour.

New Discovery: relief from chroNic paiN is iN your BraiN

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Milk Builds Weak Bones:

Why cutting out dairy is an important step toward osteoporosis prevention

by Maribeth Abrams, MS, CNC, CLE

W

e love dairy. It’s creamy and delicious! Plus, it’s essential to building strong bones, right? After all, our own government recommends that we consume two to three servings from the “milk group” every day.

It’s marketed to adults (think Dr. Phil with an ivory mustache), to teens (a 20-something siren so hot that her glass of milk explodes), and to kids (crazy colors entice them to chug). In fact, our culture views the consumption of milk so important – so essential – that every public school in the country is required to include a carton of milk with every school lunch sold.

Why is dairy so heavily promoted? Ask just about anyone and you will hear something to the effect of “We need milk for strong bones.” After all, dairy is loaded with calcium. But if dairy is so great for the bones, then why do countries that consume the most dairy also have the highest rates of hip fractures? And why is it that the Harvard Nurse’s Study with nearly 80,000 subjects found no evidence that consuming milk helps stave off osteoporosis – a conclusion that the majority of other large-scale studies on nutrition and disease-prevention share?

Osteoporosis is not a disease of calcium-deficiency Calcium in the bones is a bit like money in the bank. If we want to save money we have to deposit money. However, it’s also important to not spend it. In fact, if we deposit a lot of money but spend it as it’s coming in, then we can end up with a very low balance.

This is a simplified analogy to what happens when we consume milk, yogurt and other dairy products. Indeed, dairy delivers calcium. However, it also causes us to “spend” calcium from our bones every single time we consume it, contributing to an overall lack of calcium in our bones.

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To understand how this occurs we have to return to high school chemistry. Remember the pH scale? It ranges from 1 to 14, with 1 being very acidic, and 14 being very alkaline. Seven, right smack in the middle, is neutral. The pH of human blood is approximately 7.35. That’s alkaline, and our body works to maintain this alkalinity because an acidic environment leads to disease.

The amino acids in dairy are high in sulfur, which is acidifying.

Therefore, consuming dairy puts an acid-load on our blood. Our body has to neutralize this problem in order to keep our blood in an alkaline state, and the way that our body does this is by taking calcium from the bones and dumping it into the blood –because the calcium is alkalizing.

Through this process, our blood is kept in an alkaline state despite the fact that we consumed sulfur-containing amino acids. The drawback, of course, is that we lose precious calcium from our bones in the process.

So, milk contributes to osteoporosis. If this sounds strange, consider the fact that of approximately 4500 species of mammals, we are the only ones that continue to drink milk after the age of weaning. Plus, we curiously switch to the milk of another species.

Interestingly, humans are also the only species that suffers from osteoporosis.

By the way, calcium that is released from the bones due to the consumption of dairy is ultimately excreted through the kidneys, leading to one of the most common forms of kidney stones. So, perhaps you are not concerned about osteoporosis if you are of the male gender. However, be aware that the milk in your latte and the provolone in your wrap promote excruciating kidney stones.

Upon hearing this information, many people naturally wonder if there are other foods that similarly put an acid-load on our blood.

The answer is that all animal protein is high in sulfur-containing amino acids, so chicken, fish, beef, eggs and pork all contribute to this disease. In this manner, osteoporosis is better described as a disease of excess animal protein rather than one of calcium deficiency.

Eat Your Veggies… …but don’t make them a side dish; make them your meal.

Research shows that the higher your ratio of vegetable protein to animal protein, the smaller your risk for osteoporosis and other diseases. Basically, what it comes down to is that animal protein is acidifying and when we consume it we lose calcium from our bones in an effort to keep our blood in an alkaline state.

So why not choose vegetarian chili with guacamole instead of meat chili with sour cream – or have a grilled portabella mushroom

The Nutrition Experts with three bean salad instead of chicken tenders with ranch dressing. After all, these plant-based choices are deliciously satisfying and help prevent osteoporosis.

Vitamins • Herbs • Sports Nutrition • Natural Body Care • Allergen-Free Foods

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Plant-Based Sources of Calcium Consumption of high calcium plant-based foods is an important component of osteoporosis prevention, along with avoiding salt and soft drinks, which are acidifying. To boost your calcium intake without putting an acid-load on your blood, ensure adequate Vitamin D, enjoy weight-bearing exercise every day, and build meals containing dark leafy greens (e.g. kale, bok choy, collard greens), cruciferous vegetables (e.g. broccoli rabe, cabbage, cauliflower), beans (e.g. pinto, kidney), tahini, and almonds.

Strong as an Ox To gain a clear understanding of why dairy and other foods containing animal protein contribute to osteoporosis (along with a host of other diseases), educate yourself. After all, the ox is strong and it doesn’t drink pumped milk from cows like humans do; all it eats are plants. Start your research with T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study: The most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and the startling implications for diet, weight loss and long term health.

Maribeth Abrams, MS is a Certified Nutritionist, Certified Lifestyle Educator, and author of two cookbooks loaded with “cheezey” nondairy recipes. She has been dairy-free for nearly 20 years and is the mother of two teens dairy-free since conception. See ad on page 29.

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The Banana Trick

W

hen there is a splinter, sliver of glass, remaining tick part (those darn ticks can be tricky to completely remove), or any other unwanted foreign object under the skin, the customary plan of attack is to go in after it with a sterilized needle. Rather than expecting your child (or queasy adult) to withstand this uncomfortable exploration or worse, leaving it alone in peril of becoming painfully red, swollen and infected, call forth the banana as hero of the day. A ripened banana peel is rich in enzymes. It is the drawing action of the enzymes that will pull the foreign matter to the surface of the skin.

You’ll be creating a poultice which sounds like an ancient preparation. A poultice is merely a moist mass of herb which, when applied to the skin, has a remedial action, usually that of drawing toxin from the body or soothing the skin. Think cold cucumber slices or moistened chamomile tea bags applied to the eyes to relieve swelling and itching…these are poultices!

The Banana Trick • Cut a 1” square piece from the peel of a ripened banana to cover the affected area.

• Apply the pulp side of the banana peel against the skin.

• Hold the banana peel in place with a piece of surgical tape. The best tape I’ve

found for moist applications is a surgical tape made of shiny fabric. They are usually found in pharmacies in a variety of widths.

• Leave on overnight. In the morning, the banana will have drawn the foreign matter to the surface, ready for easy removal or, better still, may show in the peel when you remove it from the skin.

More deeply embedded splinters may require one or two more nights of this treatment, in which case you should use a fresh section of peel each time. A panicked mother called me when her 2-year-old got a very deep splinter in his foot from her deck which was made from pressure treated (toxin laden) wood. A trip to the pediatrician did not resolve the issue for he was not willing to cut into the foot to remove the splinter. I suggested three nights of a banana poultice and, as expected, the splinter was drawn to the surface for easy removal.

The fruit of the banana yields the same enzymes when ripe but is messier to apply.

My rule of thumb is: make sure the poultice is neat or they’ll never allow you to poultice them again! That being said, when one of my sons was in elementary school he was upset that he developed a pimple, white-

head style, the day before school photographs. It looked like it needed draining so we mashed up a small piece of ripe banana (letting your child help in the process makes them want the remedy even more) and smeared it on the pimple, letting it dry before he went to sleep. His skin was clear in the morning and he felt photographworthy.

In an effort to keep my sugar intake low, I have not eaten bananas in a very long time because they are a high glycemic fruit, so I do not have them on hand for splinter emergencies. And this is certainly not a remedy you can carry around in your first aid kit.

But ripe bananas can be found anywhere in the world you may be if suddenly needed.

I guarantee this is a remedy your child will broadcast to the neighborhood, and that it will catch on like wildfire. It certainly did in my neck of the woods!

Andrea Candee, MH, MSC, is a master herbalist with a practice in Westchester County.

She lectures throughout the country and at corporate wellness centers about taking charge of your health naturally. Media expert and author, her award-winning book, Gentle Healing for Baby and Child (Simon & Schuster), received The National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval. Visit www.AndreaCandee. com (to receive her free e-letter, click on Did You Know?), or at 877 856 7680.

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Supplements 101

Debra Gibson, ND

Fish Oil: A No-Brainer for Your Child

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y now the many benefits of fish oil and the essential fatty acids (EFAs) in it are common knowledge; in particular, the importance of specific EFAs, particularly DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) for infants and children is so widely acknowledged that it is now added to infant formula and has been a continuous focus of research for a couple of decades. The more we learn about these healthy fish oil fats, though, the more clear it becomes that they aren’t just for the littlest ones: ensuring an abundant supply for you and your child, from the moment you even think about conceiving, during pregnancy and throughout all the childhood years, is an intelligent – and intelligence-enhancing - gift that will keep on giving throughout their lives.

DHA in Pregnancy and After – the gift of a “better brain” During pregnancy the only source of DHA is the mother’s intake from diet and supplements, and many diets are deficient in this nutrient – daily intake of DHA in U.S. women is estimated at about 50 mg., compared to 600-1200 mg per day for Japanese women. Several studies have affirmed the ”essential” nature of this fish oil fat for optimal brain growth and function (and for healthy retinal and vision development). One study found that mothers who supplemented their diets with DHA during pregnancy gave birth to children who scored higher on early childhood tests of mental processing and had greater head circumference (a measure of brain development).

A 2008 Australian study looked at the effects of fish oil supplementation during pregnancy from 20 weeks to delivery, and found significant improvement in eye-hand coordination (a measure of brain function in young children) at age 2 ½. In a third study, children of mothers who took DHA during pregnancy had better neurologic function at age 5. Infants of mothers supplemented with DHA were calmer and had better sleep, too.

What’s the link between DHA and your baby’s brain? During the last three months in the womb and during the first months of infancy, the brain has a ’growth spurt,’ requiring large amounts of the essential fatty acid DHA for incorporation into its tissues. The more DHA is available to the child from the mother’s blood supply (in utero) and breast milk, the more the brain can soak up, and the better that brain develops and functions. For mothers-to-be, a good daily dosage is 600-1200 mg of DHA (there appears to be no toxicity) from dietary and supplemental sources (enteric-coated formulations can be easier on the digestive tract).

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Fish Oil: Brain Food for Every Child While the connection between DHA and brain development in infancy and early childhood is well documented, a 2011 study demonstrates that even at the age of 11, children whose moms take DHA during pregnancy perform better on memory function and behavioral tests – pointing to a much more extended beneficial effect than has previously been recognized. Another significant finding of this study was that those 11-year-olds who had higher blood levels of DHA at the time of testing scored even higher – which suggests that continuing to provide plenty of DHA throughout childhood is a very bright idea. In my practice, I often prescribe child-oriented formulations which provide DHA in amounts of 100-200 mg per day.

Mood, Behavior, the “Alphabet Disorders,” and EFAs Brain health isn’t only about IQ, though; the brain is also the center of feeling and behavior; it’s where we ’live’ as humans. The poet John Milton spoke of this most eloquently in Paradise Lost: “The mind is its own place, and in itself/ Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.” Too many children’s minds are bleak, unhealthy places where no one should have to live. Driven in part by chaotic biochemistry, these beleaguered brains trigger poor behavior and foster emotional climates of chronic anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, mood instability, even rage reactions – an unfortunate recipe for misery in childhood and beyond. These issues should be the exception in our youngsters but tragically, they are far too commonplace. Depression, anxiety, dyslexia, OCD, ADD, ADHD, PDDNOS, ASD – there is a growing lexicon of names and acronyms for brain imbalances which, to a greater or lesser degree, have roots in disturbances of biochemistry and metabolism. An incredible web of interconnection exists between brain centers, stress hormones, neurotransmitters, inflammatory substances and nutritional factors, and EFAs from fish oil are among the most important nutrients for maintaining equilibrium throughout this complex web. Accumulated research has clearly established the efficacy of fish oil/ EFAs for improving learning, behavior, and social interaction in children with developmental and psychosocial problems.

Supplementing with fish oil is a simple and effective way to begin to heal your child’s brain chemistry. When prescribing for the vulnerable young groups described above, I may suggest dosages of

DHA and its sibling, the anti-inflammatory Omega-3 EPA, which are several times the usual supplemental amounts.

Deficiency Signs What are some hints that your child is deficient in the Omega-3 fatty acids? Does s/he have dry skin? Rough elbows? Even if these signs are only noticeable in winter (when the lubricating effects of the EFAs are most needed), they are telling you that your child’s EFA levels are marginal at best. Eye irritation, blinking frequently, rubbing the eyes, can all indicate a lack of the lubricating EFAs from fish oil. Skin problems, from cradle cap to eczema, from seborrheic dermatitis to acne, have a connection to EFA deficiency and warrant supplementation. Allergies and asthma, similarly, benefit from EFA supplementation and suggest deficiency states.

Does your child have learning, behavioral, developmental or mood issues that may not meet criteria for a specific diagnosis, but are nevertheless limiting his or her potential and negatively affecting your family? Think EFA deficiency. And, because the diets and lifestyles which promote such deficiency tend to be familial, think EFAs for the entire family!

Finally, if you really want to get a precise picture of your child’s fatty acid status, testing is available through special laboratories which provide this kind of analysis for naturopathic and other functional medicine physicians.

are often molecularly distilled, pharmaceutical-grade, and sustainably sourced; their labels are specific as to the marine animals from which the oils are extracted (eg. salmon, cod, mackerel, calamari, sardines, herring, krill). A good fish oil supplement can have a slight seafood smell but, in the same way that the fish you buy for dinner can smell cleanly of the ocean but should not smell very “fishy”, it should not smell or taste (or burp) excessively of fish – this suggests rancidity. And most children’s formulas add natural fruit flavors which make them quite tasty.

Grandma’s tales of being dosed as a child with cod liver oil speak to the long-recognized, powerful benefits of fish oil in many areas of children’s health and growth. By taking the simple step of adding fish oil supplements to your child’s diet, you are supporting them in becoming the best they can be.

Debra Gibson, N.D. practices naturopathic family medicine in her Ridgefield, CT office. She can be reached at 203-431-4443 or at drgibsonsoffice@sbcglobal.net. See ad on page 12.

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How to Choose a Fish Oil Product If there were one supplement I could prescribe for every child, it would be an excellent fish oil, made by a manufacturer using high standards of quality control. A high-quality fish oil/ EFA supplement will probably cost more than many, but do take care to choose one manufactured in a facility which adheres to pharmaceutical-level production practices; which is third-party assayed for contaminants (mercury, arsenic, cadmium, dioxins, PCBs); and is stabilized with natural antioxidants (such as tocopherol [vitamin E], ascorbyl palmitate [a form of vitamin C], rosemary) to reduce the rate of deterioration in the bottle. Quality supplements meet or exceed standards for fish oil purity set by IFOS (International Fish Oil Standards), GOED (Global Organization for EPA and DHA), U.S. EPA, and CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition) organizations. These products

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Healthy Self

Dr. Lauren Gouin, ND

What’s Your Skin Saying?

O

ur skin is one of our largest organs, offering us immune support, detoxification, vitamin synthesis and a wonderful way to assess the body’s health.

This protective layer around the entire body communicates more effectively than any other organ about how our immune systems, hormones and diets are doing.

Acne Plaguing many adults, as well as teenagers, these skin irritations are commonly referred to as pimples or zits and may take form as whiteheads, blackheads and other inflamed red growths. In some cases, acne may take on a cystic form which can also be quite painful. Typically, acne can be on the face, back and chest, but certainly can pop up in other locations as well. Regardless of location and the form of acne, the skin is giving an obvious distress signal that the body is not balanced.

Acne is referred to by some doctors as “diabetes of the skin,” because when researchers have looked closely at the skin of people with acne, it has an altered response to sugar, similar to that of a diabetic patient.

In fact, studies have shown that reducing sugar and eating a low glycemic index diet improves many cases of acne.

It is no coincidence that teenagers suffer from acne more than adults. There are two main reasons for this: hormones and diet.

Poor diet choices, particularly less whole foods, more dairy and unhealthy fats, can lead to acne. Also, poor clearance or detoxification of hormones, particularly estrogen

and testosterone, can lead to an increase in acne. Improved diet and liver support can often improve acne conditions in people of all ages.

Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis) Eczema usually presents as dry, flaky, itchy skin in skin folds, like the folds on the inside of your elbows, behind your knees, on your abdomen or anywhere on the body.

Sometimes eczema may manifest as weeping blisters. This chronic skin condition may appear to look like many other conditions, so it is important to confirm a diagnosis with a physician.

Eczema is a sign of inflammation in the body. Like asthma or seasonal allergies, this skin condition is an immune response. Many things may trigger the immune system to become irritated, but oftentimes eczema is associated with a food allergy, environmental allergy or a stressed immune system. There are many nutrients and other factors that can help calm and balance a stressed immune system, however, it’s important to address the cause. From a naturopathic medical perspective, a skin condition like eczema is the body complaining of an imbalance. Treating the skin with cortisone cream will reduce and suppress the symptom, but not address the cause. The concern with not addressing the cause is that eventually another symptom of this imbalance may evolve, often times more severe than the skin condition.

For example, an ignored food allergy may present as eczema, but later may manifest as migraine headaches, asthma or some other

form of inflammation if left undiagnosed.

Eczema is often the first sign of inflammation and balancing the immune system to reduce eczema may require assessing proper nutrition and determining potential food and environmental allergies.

Warts Small growths that are often more irritating mentally than physically, common warts are caused by a viral infection on the skin.

Often only a concern if they are in a painful location or are otherwise a cosmetic concern, warts are frequently treated by simply being removed. If left untreated, they may resolve within a few years, however, treated or not, they often reoccur and can also spread from one part of the body to another.

Why do some people get warts and others do not? Part of everyone’s immune system is in charge of fighting viral infections. If this part of our immune system is not supported with proper nutrients or is suppressed with stress or poor diet, we will be more susceptible to viral infections. Burning off the one wart may make it go away, but it does not make the susceptibility to warts go away.

Recurring common warts are a sign that the anti-viral immune system needs help. Wart prevention, with proper nutrition and stress support, may also lead to a decrease in other viral infections, such as upper respiratory infections, because overall anti-viral immunity is improved.

What may appear to be simple cosmetic concerns are actually warning signs of areas where your body needs support. Don’t be fooled by the beauty-care industry, which is primarily concerned with the surface level, making it all too easy to apply a cream, gel or salve, natural or conventional, and make the signs of imbalance disappear. Instead, let your skin be your guide in steering you to what your body is asking for and what will improve your overall health.

Dr. Lauren Gouin is a board-certified naturopathic physician, accepting new patients for her family practice in Manchester, CT. Dr. Gouin is in-network with most insurance companies. For an appointment or more information, please call (860)533-0179 or visit www.ctnaturalhealth.com. See ad on page 7.

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Healthy HealthyCooking Cooking

By Chef David Pianka

Fregula & Connecticut Salad

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ugust is my favorite month of the year, it is amazingly hot outside, the beaches are a wonderful mecca for relaxation and, best of all, tomatoes are in their prime! For this month I am going to make a salad with those wonderful tomatoes and an Italian toasted semolina pasta called fregula. Fregula is pure bliss when added to vegetables for a light summer salad. This salad can be made with any vegetables you like; I chose to highlight Connecticut grown vegetables (save the avocado) for a list of reasons, most importantly it just tastes better. Fresh local vegetables are our pride and joy in the restaurant. freshness and quality of each ingredient will be extremely important.

Dish: Papacelle Fregula & Connecticut Salad Category: Entree Serves: 2 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Preparation: Boil your fregula in salted water (the water should taste like the ocean) while you are completing the following steps (the fregula will be done in 8-10 minutes, when it is done it will be “al dente”, giving slight bite in texture

Item

Suggested Substitutions

1.5c Fregula none 8 grape tomatoes - sliced in half Any other tomato ½ avocado Any vegetable ¼ zucchini - slivered Any vegetable ¼ yellow squash – slivered Any vegetable 4 leaves beet greens Basil or parsley 2t Sicilian or Tuscan None Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- Cut your vegetables and keep them to the side while you heat up a large pan on med-high heat for your fregula.

- In a bowl, slice your vegetables and smash in the avocado

I would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, ideas or would just like to talk food join me at our blog www.papacelle.com.

Join us on Facebook or email me dave@papacelle.com anytime! See ad on page 22.

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A Zip Line Adventure Right in Your Backyard

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mpowerment….what does it mean to you? The standard definition is to invest with power or to supply with an ability.

Or it could be defined as developing confidence in your own capability. For me, last month, empowerment meant standing on a platform 70 feet high, attached to a zip line and having the courage to step off!

Befittingly named, Empower Leadership Sports and Adventure Center in Middletown is the place to go if you want to test your confidence and experience a thrilling adventure. Zip lines, sky bridges, tree climbs, and scavenger hunts are what you’ll be exposed to during a two-hour adventure designed to test even the strongest of wills. Since they opened in 2009, Empower has facilitated adventures for thousands of families, coworkers, friends and couples from ages 6 to 86. Without a doubt, they motivate you to achieve more, empower you to take on new challenges and provide you with a thrilling, but safe experience that you will not soon forget.

Founded by Joe and Maureen DeRing, Empower Leadership Sports was created because they felt the world needs more positive leadership. “We want to do our part by developing leaders, sharing our powerful adventures, and inspiring people to find the very best in themselves at every interaction,” said Joe. “We teach teams how to become a team and to achieve better results through clear communication and interaction.” Find-

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ing the best in yourself is exactly what will happen once you’re out on this course.

It all begins with your guide greeting you and providing training to make sure you understand proper safety during the tour.

Yes, we had to wear helmets and the harness that straps around your legs and waist, although a bit snug, actually made me feel safer. Then, accompanied the entire way by your guide, it’s off to 5 zip lines and 2 adventure sky bridges, 2 optional climbing elements and 9 stations. Along the way you will discover emotions and attitudes that will help you change the way you think.

While the experience takes place as you fly through tree tops from zip line to zip line and over the adventure sky bridges and climbing elements, the real power of this expedition will occur inside you. Can you think of a better setting for identifying new goals, changing behavior and improving self confidence? Every time I started to get fearful about whether or not I could do something on the tour, I somehow found this voice inside of me that kept saying, “You can do this…You can do this..” And to my surprise, I actually could. Almost everyone I’ve told about this adventure asked me if I was afraid of heights, and while the answer is yes, somewhat – I didn’t see it as a reason to avoid the challenge. In fact, I was so focused on getting from platform to platform that I don’t even remember looking down or realizing how high up I was!

Some frequently asked questions about the adventure: 1. How long does it take to complete a Canopy Tour Adventure? Canopy Plus Adventure?

Plan to spend 2 hours. The zip line canopy tour is approximately 1.5 hours in length plus additional time for check in, orientation, training, etc. The Canopy Plus programs both take about 4 hours to complete.

2. What if I am afraid of heights?

It is not uncommon to have a fear of heights. Many people who have a fear of heights are still able to enjoy the zip line tour. You will be safely secured to a steel cable at all times when you are off the ground. The professional guides are thoroughly trained in zip line course procedures, and will be with you throughout the entire course to answer all your questions and provide support.

3. How high will I be off the ground?

During the tour you will be anywhere from 10 to 70 feet off the ground.

4. What should I wear?

You will need to wear close-toed shoes (such as tennis shoes). Wear comfortable clothing, but avoid loose clothing (no scarves, etc.). Long hair needs to be tied back. Women should not wear skirts. Dress for the weather forecasted. Do not wear any dangling jewelry. Also, remove all things from your pockets, such as cell phones and wallets.

5. How safe is it?

All adventure activities done above the ground carry certain inherent risks. The course was built to exceed ACCT professional building standards. The guides are

professionally trained and the equipment is very high quality. The course and equipment are inspected daily.

6. How long is the zip line course?

The zip line course is nearly a 1/2 mile long, consisting of 5 zip lines, 2 adventure sky bridges, a multi-vine traverse and a cargo net obstacle. There are 9 stations in all.

NEW for 2011 – Zip line 4 and zip line 5 are brand new!!! Both zip lines measure over 600 feet long each!

7. Who can and cannot zip?

The zip line canopy tour is designed for use by participants of average mobility and strength, and who are in reasonably good health. No children weighing less than 58 pounds will be allowed to participate in the zip line tour. Children between the ages of 8 -15 must be accompanied to the facility by an adult. Approximate weight range for all participants is between 58 to 285 pounds.

Assisted by our guide, Dan Jaskot, my partner, Chris and I experienced many challenges in navigating the course. From the initial fear of stepping off the first platform of the zip line to having to swing from one tree to the next on the tree climb, it was absolutely a mental and physical test. Dan was an amazing guide, encouraging and cheering us on the entire time – even when I was glued to one of the trees and panicking about having to jump off and swing about 20 feet to a platform on a tree across from me. But in the end, I can’t explain the feeling of satisfaction that I had actually done this, conquered my fears (of heights and falling) and completed the course. You could say I left there…Empowered!

Submitted by Dr. Diane Hindman.

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Psoriasis:

The Problem is Not Just Skin Deep

By Vicki Kobliner MS RD, CD-N

A

few of us may remember when advertisements for the medicated shampoo Tegrin promoted the product as an opportunity for relief from “the Heartbreak of Psoriasis”, but for many suffering with this uncomfortable and at times unsightly skin condition, the effects on quality of life can truly be emotionally damaging.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder in which the immune system sends out misguided signals that hasten the growth cycle of skin cells, causing them to form scaly, red or silvery patches on the skin. These patches can be small and localized, or diffuse, affecting the whole body, and may be accompanied by itching, swelling or pain. In some cases, the immune disorder affects the joints in what is called psoriatic arthritis, or produces blister-like formations under the skin.

Severe cases of psoriasis can result not only in physical pain, but in depression, social isolation, and problems with intimacy which affect sufferers on a daily basis. Studies of people with psoriasis indicate that they often experience a diminished quality of life. The lack of effective medications further compounds the problem.

Beyond the discomfort and physical changes that make living with psoriasis a challenge, evidence is mounting that the skin disorder not only affects quality of life, but life itself. In 2008, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology printed a review article which highlighted a correlation between psoriasis and heart disease.

Another, more recent study from Denmark found that people with severe psoriasis were over 50% more likely to suffer a stroke, 21% more likely to have a heart attack and 53% more likely to die over a 10 year period than those without it.

Heart disease is not the only concernpeople with psoriasis have an increased risk for some cancers, including lymphoma, skin cancer and prostate cancer. In addition, Crohn’s disease, diabetes, depression, and arthritis are just a few of the other disorders associated with psoriasis.

The question that remains unanswered is whether psoriasis increases the risk of these other diseases, or they in fact cause the skin condition. Also not known is whether medication used to treat psoriasis is the culprit. What is known is that like psoriasis itself, a number of the disorders, including heart disease, arthritis, and Crohn’s, are inflammatory conditions. Therefore, a logical course for anyone living with psoriasis is to adopt lifestyle changes designed to reduce chronic inflammation.

Medication selection, diet changes, and nutritional supplements can offer relief from the discomfort of psoriasis, either individually or in combination. Foods or medications that cause inflammation can be removed, while nutrients, herbs and supplements which reduce inflammation can be incorporated on a daily basis.

A number of prescription medications such as lithium for bipolar disorder, beta blockers for heart failure and high blood pressure, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and tetracycline can induce, trigger or exacerbate psoriatic lesions. In some cases, the medication can be switched: for example, using a different antibiotic than tetracycline. In other cases, the psoriasis can be ameliorated, as in the case of lithium for treatment of bipolar disorder. When psoriasis increases as a result of lithium, a B vitamin called inositol can be added, which is effective at reducing the psoriasis, but does not work in those who don’t use lithium.

Diet changes are often effective at reducing psoriatic plaques. A gluten-free diet should be considered by anyone suffering from psoriasis. The diet has been shown to reduce the severity of skin patches in individuals with increased antibodies to gluten, even those without true celiac disease. Others respond well to the elimination of nightshade vegetables (e.g tomato, eggplant, pepper) or other food allergens.

Nutrients that normalize the immune system are also important tools to employ.

Both Vitamin D and the essential omega-3

fatty acids found in fish oil can reduce psoriatic symptoms. Vitamin D is easily obtained from 15-20 minutes of unprotected sun in the summer, but requires supplementation in the winter months in cold climates. The amount of essential fatty acids needed to calm the immune system is far more than one could get from simply eating a few ounces of fish daily. It is best obtained from a high quality, mercury and PBB free fish oil supplement that is higher in EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) than DHA, since EPA is the compound that is effective in this case. In fact, topical application of high EPA fish oil can be added to oral supplementation for greater benefit. Fish oil is also beneficial for heart health, so provides a double benefit to psoriasis sufferers at increased risk of heart disease.

Psoriasis is clearly more than an unpleasant annoyance- it is a serious disease which can have negative consequences both internally and externally. There are no medications available that can eradicate the problem and many of the ones that do exist have undesirable side effects. Conversely, incorporating natural interventions such as diet changes and nutritional support can have multiple benefits, reducing inflammation, decreasing plaques, and protecting against heart disease and other chronic illnesses which go hand in hand with psoriasis.

Vicki Kobliner MS RD, CD-N is a Registered Dietitian and owner of Holcare Nutrition (www.holcarenutrition.com). Vicki works with infants, children and adults with digestive disorders, food allergies, ADHD, autism and other chronic illness, and provides fertility and prenatal nutrition counseling. Vicki has extensive experience in using dietary modification, appropriate supplementation and functional lab testing to achieve

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Planning Ahead for Healthy Lunchboxes

By Dr. Debra Anastasio

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dants and healthy essential fatty acids.

Bread is just as tricky because there are a lot of chemicals in commercial breads! Instead, use organic and natural options such as whole-wheat pita pockets, organic wholewheat bread, sprouted bread such as Alvarado Street or Ezekiel, or whole-grain wraps without preservatives. For the child who doesn’t like sandwiches, you can pack all the stuffings in containers and serve them with organic whole grain crackers. [Pantry Note: Keep natural bread products refrigerated to maintain freshness!]

ven though it’s summer break, it’s a good time to begin efforts on improving school lunches for your children.

By the end of the school year, lunches don’t look quite as healthy as the enthusiastic start of September. Now is a good time to redirect your efforts and challenge those little taste buds before the school year begins.

Provide Nutrient-dense Foods The first aspect to consider is that kids don’t get much time to actually eat at school.

Even though there is a 20-minute lunch break, they only get about 10 minutes to sit down. That means we need to provide nutrient-dense foods that pack in the calories and nutrients they need without the volume that takes up time to eat it.

Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of Eat for Health, created a food ranking based on the nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc.) that different foods pack. According to Fuhrman, these are some of the top ’superfoods,’ along with their Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) scores: kale (1000), spinach (739), romaine (389), broccoli (376), carrots (240), strawberries (212), tomato (164), blueberries (130), lentils (104), kidney beans (100), sunflower seeds (78), apple (76), cucumber (50), almonds (38), chicken breast (27), and eggs (27). Other foods to include that are rich in calories and nutrients are nuts/nut butters (almond and cashew for allergy-free environments), bean spreads/ hummus, avocado/guacamole, organic Greek yogurt with berries, and whole grain pockets/breads/wraps.

Avoid Food Colorings and Preservatives Kids love colored gummies, drinks and cereals, but that doesn’t mean you should provide those ‘foods’ to your kids. In April of this year, the FDA Advisory Council decided that the research was inconclusive about food dyes and preservatives being linked with ADHD. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that the studies showed that they did increase ADHD, but the main Lancet study failed to test dyes and sodium benzo32

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ate separately which caused the FDA to ignore the evidence completely.

Dr. Russel Blaylock, neurosurgeon and author of “Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills”, explains how food chemicals and additives alter neurological and mental functions, leading to a multitude of syndromes such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, ADD/ADHD, and more. Food colorings, dyes, and preservatives are excitotoxins, meaning they override normal signals in the nervous system. At the very least you will observe mood swings in children eating foods with these chemicals in them. There are plenty of yummy natural options to replace any goodie your child currently likes.

Packing the Lunchbox Sandwiches are probably the most common lunch box main course. Luncheon meat is loaded with excitotoxins and sodium, so choose the types that are preservative-free and nitrite/nitrate-free such as Boars Head or Applegate Farm. Other sandwich fillings include organic nut butter and jam/jelly, Omega-3 egg salad, wild Atlantic salmon salad (tastes just like tuna salad), your own sliced turkey or chicken with guacamole and spinach, your own sliced roast beef with romaine and white bean spread. I purposely left out cheese because most cheeses are just processed oil, salt and chemicals and are not a nutrient-rich or healthy food option.

The mayonnaise I recommend is Vegennaise made from grapeseed oil, rich in antioxi-

Finger Foods Good thing most kids love to eat with their hands! Include lots of organic fruits and veggies for dipping as finger food. Yellow or orange baby carrots, baby English cucumbers, celery sticks, pea pods, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, and colored pepper strips are all suitable veggies for the lunch box. Serve with hummus or a bean dip (beans, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and herbs pureed together).

Organic apples and pears are easy to find. If cut ahead of time, dip them in lemon juice to prevent browning. Serve them with organic nut butters or yogurt for dipping. Organic bananas usually travel well. Peaches, apricots, plums and nectarines are more difficult to find as organic, so wash thoroughly and buy locally grown whenever possible.

Organic berries and grapes are easy to find and pack in containers.

Organic snack packs of cookies, crackers, gummies, and chips are all available, but the question is, “Do kids need these in their lunch box?” The answer is, “No they don’t!” If you have ever served as a supervisor for school lunch, you know that all the goodies get eaten while the main course gets thrown away, again, usually on account of time, but also because of preference. Don’t give kids snack foods that distract them from eating healthier foods to grow and thrive.

Save the goodies for an occasional betweenmeal snack. Even natural snacks can be loaded with salt, sugar and inadequate fiber

which is why they don’t take the place of a healthy meal.

Healthy Packaging and Containers In 2005, news was that soft-sided lunch boxes were a source of lead in your child’s diet! By 2007, many states imposed restrictions on the use of lead in food containers, but how do you know what kind you have?

Test your lunch containers with Pro-Lab’s Lead Test Kit and make sure they are safe before putting them in the hands of kids.

Plastic contains Bisphenol-A and is a hormone disruptor that is partly responsible for early puberty in kids and reproductive cancers in adults. Use ’BPA-Free’ water bottles and avoid putting hot food in plastic containers. BPS-Free Bento-style lunch boxes provide fun food in fun containers. Read more at www.justbento.com.

I CAN HELP YOU HEAL SPECIAL ATTENTION to chronic and difficult cases including those with “PESS” (physio-emotional spiritual stress)* *See article in November 2010 issue at naturalnutmeg.com Dr. Francis X. Tortora Chiropractor, Board Certified Craniopath 22 Fifth St., Ste. 208, Stamford, Ct. 06905 (203) 348-0678 • www.chirodirectory.com

Dr. Debra Anastasio is a Naturopathic Doctor in Cheshire, and author of “What the Bleep Can I Eat? She will be releasing her new book this fall, What the Bleep Can Kids Eat? Visit her website at www.drdebraanastasio.com for weekly blogs, tweets and current events. See ad on page 13.

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PANDAS

Transforming a devastating chronic illness into a treatable disorder

By Gail Szakacs, MD and Nancy O’Hara, MD

P

ediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders associated with Streptococcal Infections, or PANDAS, is a common and devastating autoimmune disorder in children.

PANDAS highlights the link between chronic and recurrent infection and neuropsychiatric and behavioral problems, and the depth and scope of those problems is much more far-reaching than previously thought. PANDAS consequences can include far-reaching movement, behavioral, and cognitive issue. While OCD and tics are still common, other issues like anxiety, bedtime fears, enuresis, aggression, and deficits in learning, attention, and social interaction are among the many manifestations that result from PANDAS. Although we focus on the pediatric population as part of the PANDAS syndrome in this review, immune-mediated OCD/Tics/ Neuropsychiatric Disorders can also affect adolescent and adult populations and should always be considered when specific signs and symptoms emerge.

As noted by Dr Sue Swedo at the NIH in the late 1990s, PANDAS involves antibodies from a streptococcal infection reacting with brain tissue (specifically the basal ganglia) and triggers movement and behavioral problems. Rheumatic Fever is an older known disorder that illustrates this same disease process, in which antibodies from a streptococcal infection attack the heart valves, joints, and brain and result in heart disease, arthritis, and Sydenham’s Chorea.

Although bacteria set the vicious cycle in motion, the real damage in this type of autoimmune disorder stems from the antibodies and the inappropriate immune response.

While the exact mechanism of the autoimmune process involved with PANDAS is still under investigation, research published in The Journal of Neuroimmunology in 2006 by Kirvan, et al suggests the mechanism involves antibody-mediated cell-signaling post group A streptococcal infections. The antibodies produced in group A streptococcal infections are thought to penetrate the blood brain barrier (BBB) and activate a brain enzyme (CaM kinase II) with multiple functions that are negatively impacted in various neuropsychiatric disorders. The article notes that those with PANDAS have higher CaM kinase II activation than those with non-PANDAS OCD, tic, and ADHD groups not associated with streptococcal infection.

Although PANDAS is a clinical diagnosis, the traditional criteria for PANDAS include:

Clinical experience reveals that traditional criteria for PANDAS do not capture the full scope and complexity of what is involved with the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of this disorder. One must also consider the presence of other signs/ symptoms/ comorbidities, frequent lack of known strep exposure/illness, specific lab abnormalities (or lack thereof), and response to treatment.

These other signs, symptoms, and comorbid diagnoses include irritability, personality changes, aggression, uncontrolled agitation, fear about bedtime regimen, fidgetiness, emotional lability, anxiety, enuresis, motoric symptoms (tics, handwriting changes, motoric hyperactivity, compulsive rituals), sensory defensiveness, impulsivity, depression, dysthymia, separation anxiety, anorexia, ADD, and ADHD. Laboratory tools are limited and the traditional abnormalities of increased blood strep titers (ASO and DNAseB antibodies) and a positive throat culture are not always present. In other words, normal levels of strep antibodies and negative cultures do not exclude the PANDAS diagnosis. On the flip side, streptococcal bacteria found in gastrointestinal testing may provide a clue, given other signs and symptoms consistent with PANDAS, but it is not enough to make a diagnosis.

The emerging research involving CaM kinase and anti-neuronal antibodies (noted above) is promising and has important diagnostic and therapeutic implications. These newer tests are particularly helpful when blood ASO and DNAseB antibodies and other tests are negative in a child in whom PANDAS is suspected, however they are not yet commercially available.

As mentioned earlier, the real problem is thought to be the damage resulting from the inappropriate immune response to the bacterial infection. Damage from the antibodies recurs with each subsequent streptococcal exposure and PANDAS flare. Research studies have shown that antibodies alone are enough to cause the behavioral and movement problems noted in those with PANDAS. This is a crucial point, in that adequate PANDAS treatment requires comprehensive immune therapy, in addition to antibiotics. One is not enough without the other, and immune therapy is likely the more important of the two treatment arms.

Treatments to consider for PANDAS (one should discuss with the primary doctor involved, but referral to an Immunologist experienced in PANDAS diagnosis and treatment is also recommended):

1. OCD and/or Tic Disorder 2. Pediatric onset of symptoms (age 3 to puberty) – sudden/dra- 1. Antibiotics (used daily for treatment and sometimes less fre matic onset quently for prophylaxis – zithromax, omnicef, penicillin, IM bicil 3. Episodic course of symptom severity (waxes and wanes) lin, clindamycin, etc.)

4. Association with group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infec- tion (such as through a positive throat culture for strep or history 2. Immune Modulation Therapy of Scarlet Fever) a. Corticosteroids (short-term use of tapering dose – a positive 5. Association with neurologic abnormalities (such as motoric response often indicates the patient is more likely to respond posihyperactivity, choreiform movements, etc.) tively to Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), but no response does not mean IVIG will be ineffective)

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b. Case reports and studies show that. c. IVIG derived from human bloodand pooled from many donors can provide antibodies in those who are lacking them, and can help to inactivate antigens and slow down an overac tive immune system that is functioning inappropriately. d. Various case reports on Plasmaphoresis – a type of plasma transfusion to remove antibodies – reveal positive results, but there’s a lack of long-term studies e. Other natural anti-inflammatory and immune supporting therapies (curcumin, essential fatty acids, transfer factor/colostrum, probiotics, etc.)

3. Natural antimicrobial therapies a. Probiotics, including Saccharomyces Boulardii b. Xylitol c. Antimicrobial herbs (Berberine, etc.)

4. Removal of adenoids and tonsils (there are no good studies on this; removal may

even worsen signs and symptoms in some cases; but can still be considered in certain cases, where appropriate, after referral to an ENT Physician familiar with PANDAS).

5. Medications like SSRI’s (Prozac, Zoloft, etc.) can often act as a “patch” for OCD or other symptoms, but should only be considered for short-term use in certain cases.

PANDAS is a devastating, far-reaching autoimmune disorder that highlights the link between chronic and recurrent infection and neuropsychiatric and behavioral problems. OCD, and tics anxiety, bedtime fears, enuresis, aggression, and deficits in learning, attention, and social interaction are among the many manifestations that result from PANDAS and impair the daily functioning and cognitive progress for many children.

Heightened clinical suspicion and more appropriate and comprehensive treatment with antibiotics and immune-modulating therapy will transform PANDAS from a devastating chronic illness with episodic flares into a treatable disorder.

Dr. Nancy O’Hara and Dr. Gail Szakacs dedicate their practice to the integrative care of children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, other Neurodevelopmental disorders, and various chronic medical illnesses. Their comprehensive center also includes pre-pregnancy counseling for couples interested in healthier pregnancies. Dr. O’Hara is board certified in Pediatrics and Dr. Szakacs is board certified in Internal Medicine. Their practice in Wilton, CT has been serving the local and global communities sInce 1999. Center for Autism & Integrative Health, 3 Hollyhock Lane, Wilton, CT 06897.

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Words that Heal: Communicating with Kids

A

teen boy was agitated with staff on a pediatric psychiatric unit – cursing, threatening, pacing – so he was sent to a small room to calm down on his own away from whatever had triggered his angry response. Several staff members went into the room, one after the other, trying to bring him around, but without much luck. Then they asked me to give it a try. I stepped into the room reluctantly. He clearly didn’t want to listen to anything I had to say let alone be “counseled.” So I simply asked him if there was anything I could do to make him feel better and sat quietly not really expecting much. Slowly, we got to talking. He was fed up with the program at the hospital and still felt plenty of the anger and anxiety that had initially brought him to this place. I asked him if he would be interested in learning a mini-meditation. Part of me thought this was an outrageous thing to ask a teenager.

Seriously…was meditation “cool” enough? Surprisingly, he decided to give it a go. After a 10-minute session of leading him through body relaxation and visualizing his favorite place in nature, he told me that was the best thing he had learned at the hospital during his whole time there. The power of the voice to heal was immediately obvious to me. Unknowingly, I had gone from giving someone therapy to being the therapy.

In my work with children, common issues surface regardless of a child’s diagnosis.

Presented here are some approaches I have found to be quite effective. However, it is important to remember that every child is different so what is appropriate and effective for one may not be for another.

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Opening a window and keeping it open Sometimes the most difficult part of talking with kids is starting a conversation. Will they ’let you in’? Although several people have suggested I begin by asking questions such as, “What is your favorite subject in school?” or “What kind of games do you like to play?” more often than not I start by asking the child to show me something of theirs that they treasure. It gives them a non-threatening topic to talk about and allows them to be the ’expert.’ They see that you care about what they care about. If you are able to engage a child in conversation (even if it is unidirectional), then it is important to keep that precious window of communication open. One of the things that often happens with children is that they will shut down if they feel disapproval or over directed. They tend to interpret it as criticism rather than as an objective correction to their behavior. I always do my best to offer five times the number of praising comments for every corrective comment. If you are with a particularly challenging child, finding one positive thing to comment on may seem impossible. “Thanks for saying, ‘please,’” “thanks for waiting,” “thanks for asking for a snack rather than simply taking one,” – even the smallest bit of appreciation can go a long way and help to restore a positive dynamic.

Connecting through the heart Another teen came to my office because of the wishes of his parents. Much to their

dismay he had been using drugs and was ready to drop out of school. Of course, he completely stonewalled me. I told him if he ever wanted to quit, I’d be happy to help him and gave him one of my cards. He seemed a bit shocked that I wasn’t doing more. Mom was devastated because I hadn’t fixed this deep-seated problem. I suggested that rather than trying to change his behavior that she try to understand it. “For some reason this kid isn’t happy. If he was truly happy he wouldn’t be using…it is only a symptom. If you try to understand from his point of view why he thinks ’life sucks‘ you might have a chance of turning this around.” I didn’t hear from them again for six months. Then the mother contacted me to say he had stopped using and they were getting closer – no more family blowouts. She said this was because she had started to redirect her own efforts because of what I had said. She was proud to say he had even enrolled in college and was on the football team. Often, children really need your empathy and compassion before they are willing or able to change.

Giving children more power and control…and responsibility One family arrived complaining that the 12-year-old had anxiety, was asocial, having nightmares and not doing well in school.

Regarding the school work, he blamed his mother for nagging him about his homework, which made him more reluctant to do it. After listening for awhile, I asked him to tell me the exact same story except he had to start each sentence with, “I choose.”

Instead of coming from a place of blaming others, he immediately saw and felt how he was making choices that were working against himself…”I choose to not bring my textbooks home,” “I choose to play on the computer instead of finishing my math.”

This simple technique gives the child what they are really seeking – power and control – but also instills a feeling of choice and responsibility. Three months later all of the complaints he showed up with had resolved – the entire family was happy. You can try this technique on one of your own favorite “victim stories” whether it be traffic on I-95 or your most bothersome co-worker.

Riding your own ride While I have mostly been discussing how to communicate with kids to help them choose more constructive behaviors, perhaps the biggest challenge in this effort is dismantling your own hot buttons. Most

children are exquisitely good at pushing those buttons – they start flipping out about not having mashed potatoes for dinner right before you are supposed to leave for a party which will make you late…AGAIN. The more that you can remain calm and patient through both action and word with a child who is escalating the more likely you will be able to help them turn things around.

Sometimes this isn’t necessarily about what you say but the way you are ’being‘ with the child (sometimes called paraverbal communication). Besides, if the adults in these children’s lives are unable to control their own emotions and impulses how can we expect much more from a child? As painful as it can be sometimes, children are fantastic at pointing out the weak spots we still need to work on in ourselves. Improving children’s behavior truly is a journey of discovery for the whole family.

• Personology • Science of the 52 cards • Numerology • Astrology Personalized Reports & Readings for Individuals, Couples and Businesses.

Mary Anne Costerella, MA, LADC, is a licensed psychotherapist offering clinical and metaphysical therapies to provide an integrative approach to the art of transformation.

377 Hubbard St., Glastonbury, CT • (860) 657-1131 MALC7119@aol.com • www.psychospiritualtherapies.com

Funda M. Gulmen, N.D., M.S. is a licensed naturopathic physician in private practice in Connecticut. In addition to working with special needs children for many years, she has taught mind-body medicine and counseling to medical students. For more information, contact 203.895.5534 or www. naturesourcecare.com.

A universe of heAling

is wAiting for You.

Offering...

Reconnective HealingTM and The ReconnectionTM A more comprehensive spectrum of healing that includes and expands beyond any and all known forms of energy healing, comprised of energy, light and information.

Reconnective Healing Practitioners of CT For more information or to book a session, call or email: Wendy Tanzer Gelven, 860-989-1997, wendytg123@gmail.com | Jennifer Jensen, 860-297-1543 JenJensen10@gmail.com Kevin Jensen, 860-297-1543 KevinBJensen@gmail.com | Janet Miller, 860-985-7260 jmjuly@cox.net Ken Lara, 914-255-8804 kenreconnects@gmail.com | Annette Moreland, 860-818-1897 www.cosmosis.ca NaturalNutmeg.com

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Eco-travel

An Eco-Luxury Waterfront Staycation!

The Saybrook Point Inn & Spa

T

hink you have to travel far to find an eco-friendly, luxury inn? Think again, because there’s an exquisite option right here on the Connecticut River. Twenty-six years ago, Stephen Tagliatela’s family opened the Saybrook Point Inn & Spa with a mission…to buy as much as possible local, made in the U.S. and keep it environmentally friendly and sustainable. Not an easy task and certainly not something most people were thinking about in 1989. But his dedication and success has earned him the awards of being one of the first hotels in Connecticut to be certified green and the first certified Clean Marina in the state.

Along with all of the typical environmentally friendly initiatives hotel owners can make such as (water recycling) low flow showerheads, dual flush toilets, recycling baskets in guest rooms, energy efficient lighting, solar panels, bird houses to reduce the mosquito population naturally, environmentally friendly cleaning and laundry products and a generator that runs on biofuel, Tagliatela has implemented some pretty cutting-edge sustainable efforts as well.

Installing the e4 Smart Digital Thermostat with ecoMODE played a major role in helping the premiere four diamond waterfront New England inn and spa become the first full-service hotel in Connecticut to achieve the ENERGY STAR ranking by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A typical thermostat in a hotel room has what’s called a two degree drift, meaning that if you set it for 70 degrees, the tem38

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perature may fluctuate from 69-71 degrees before it kicks on to cool the room. With ecoMODE, a three degree drift is allowed, which doesn’t sound like much and certainly isn’t noticeable to the guest, but allows the inn to save 30% on oil usage. And if you open the door from your room leading out to the porch, the thermostat automatically shuts off and turns back on when the door is closed. Another interesting feature this system has is that it’s connected to the front desk and knows when a guest has checked in and automatically turns on to cool the room.

Have you ever thought about what a waste it is when you only use the soap or toiletries once or twice in a hotel room?

Stephen Tagliatela has an answer for this too. The Saybrook Point Inn & Spa is proud to support Clean the World, an organization that distributes recycled soap products, along with appropriate educational materials, to impoverished countries worldwide, and to domestic homeless shelters. All of

the leftover soap and shampoo from the guests’ stays goes directly to Clean the World. And Tagliatela doesn’t stop there.

One of the toughest things to do in maintaining an eco-friendly property is to get all of the staff on board to implement the many day to day things that need to happen in order to keep it sustainable. So, they came up with a brilliant idea called the Green Team. Each month employees meet to discuss new concepts and make suggestions for environmentally friendly practices. For example, the dishwasher noticed that he had to run half full racks of dishes through the washer in order to keep up with the demand because there weren’t enough plates to get the restaurant through the night. By ordering more plates, they were able to save 20,000 gallons of water.

What a great way to involve the staff and save the environment!

So, you think all of these eco-friendly practices come at a price of reduced luxury? Not so fast…the beauty and hospitality of this property will take your breath away and you won’t even notice what’s going on behind the scenes. The words that come to mind when you first walk through the doors of the inn to entering your luxurious room to strolling along the docks of the marina and if you’re smart… to booking a treatment at the spa? Pure elegance, tranquility, rejuvenation, romance, and most of all… peace. The rooms are quaint and exquisite, with plush king-sized beds, waterfall showerheads, and sliding doors that open onto your own private porch that overlooks the

marina. You won’t want to leave your room, but should you get hungry, you won’t have far to go for a great meal.

Aptly named for the point where the river meets the ocean, Fresh Salt is a dining experience you won’t want to miss. We chose to dine outside, which I would highly recommend, where you can watch the water and the larger than life mega yachts that are often docked at the marina. Chef Carlos Cassar uses as much local and organic foods as possible in his menu and grows an herb garden right on site for not only the restaurant but for the boaters as well! With plenty of fresh day’s catch raw bar options to Italian farm plates to organic roasted chicken, there’s something for everyone on this menu. One of my favorites was the line caught striped bass with saffron arrancini and lemon crab salad with roasted corn sauce.

And you can’t leave this place without experiencing the world class spa. The concept of the spa is based on a place where the river meets the sound and the mind meets the body. I treated myself to the Ocean Memory and believe me, it’s a memory I won’t ever forget! Using marinebased products, my therapist applied a salt scrub with wonderful ocean scents to exfoliate the body. There is a private shower with six jets right in your treatment room, and as I rinsed off, I think my jaw literally dropped as I felt how silky my skin was.

Next, she applied an algae mousse to the Tzone of my back (across the shoulders and down the spine) to detoxify and invigorate the central nervous system. You can literally feel it working as it heats up and creates little air bubbles that snap and crackle.

After a twenty minute process, she wipes your back down with a hot towel and then the massage begins. Soothing strokes meant to simulate ocean waves will put you into complete and utter relaxation and bliss.

The beauty and peacefulness of the spa is a perfect compliment to the rest of the luxurious inn and they use all organic and vegan products. When you’re finished with your treatment, you can head out to catch some rays at the salt water pool.

Just a stone’s throw away from where you live, and considering it won’t take a plane to get there, you can truly do your part in saving the environment by booking your luxurious, eco-friendly vacation at The Saybrook Point Inn & Spa. Submitted by Dr. Diane Hindman. Visit www.saybrook.com for more information.

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Unity Center

for Practical Spirituality Celebration Service Sundays at 10:30 am (childcare provided)

August Sunday, “Say, Yes” Series August 8th, “Yes to Limitless Possibility” August 21st, “Yes to Understanding” August 14th, “Yes toJoy” August 28th, “Yes to Love”

Rev. Shawn Moninger

For more information and Special Events, please visit us on the web!

3 Main St, Norwalk, CT 06851 www.unitycenterps.org (203) 855-7922

Monthly Events

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Our mission: To continually discover, demonstrate and educate that our source of Good is God within.

Unity

A Spiritual Philosophy For Positive Living!

Calendar Listings in red are held in Fairfield County Tuesday, August 2nd First Tuesday Meditation and Oneness Blessing. 7- 8pm. $10. Led by Wendy Kolanz. Anyone can meditate and experience the benefits. The Oneness tradition is simple, relaxing, and rejuvenating. Deeksha energy transfers are offered. No previous experience required. Visit www.sacredriversyoga.com for more information. Sacred Rivers Yoga, 2934 Main Street, Glastonbury, CT 06033, 860.657.9545.

Wednesday, August 3rd Janet Hulme – Improving Back Strength and Stability. No Cost. 1:15pm-1:45pm.

This one hour class is structured to provide individuals, suffering from back pain with an easy set of functional exercises. The Institute of Integrative Manual Therapy, 800 Cottage Grove Road, Building 2, Bloomfield. Please contact Amanda Albrecht at AmandaAlbrecht@instituteofimt.com or call 860 243 5220.

Thursday, August 4th Qigong. No Cost, 1:15- 1:45pm. Please, eat your lunch before or after this program.

Qigong translates to “energy work” and is a gentle system of exercise practiced for health, healing and increased vitality. The Institute of Integrative Manual Therapy, 800 Cottage Grove Road, Building 2, Bloomfield. Please contact Amanda Albrecht at AmandaAlbrecht@instituteofimt. com or call 860 243 5220.

Friday, August 5th Reiki 1st Degree Workshop with Gigi Benanti, Reiki Master/Teacher. 10am to 5pm. Also August 6th. Learn self-healing or healing for others, receive 4 meditations, manual and certificate included.

Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Avenue, Norwalk. Pre-Registration required at 203-852-1150 or angelhealreikigigib@ snet.net. Fee $115.

Crystal Bowls Sound Healing. 7 - 8:30 pm. $15. Edie Jemiola, RMT, facilitates. Sound used with intention can shift the energy in and around the body to help reestablish physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Experience the purity and passion of Edie’s voice and quartz crystal bowls. Bring a mat, pillow and blanket.

Spirit Matters, 19 Pinney Street/Rt. 286, Ellington, CT, www.spiritmattersct.com.

Register with Edie: 860-933-8145.

Sunday, August 7th Reiki Level I. $150, 10am-4pm, Centerspace Wellness Studio, 46 Lebanon Rd, Bozrah, CT. Instructor: Carleen Wells, RMT, 860.884.3125 for questions. Level I includes history, principles, benefits & uses, the chakra system, self-treatment, attunement & certificate. www.meiklemkilnworks.com or 860.886.8562 to register.

Tuesday, August 9th Pendulum Power. 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. $35.00. Using a pendulum is easier than you think! Explore the many ways to use a pendulum for everyday questions, guidance, finding lost objects, healing, and connecting with angels and guides. To register, please call 860.301.1468 or visit www.simplyfitnessonline.com.

Wednesday, August 10th Healing in Harmony Night. 5 – 7 p.m.

FREE. This is a drop-in healing service. Participants will sit individually with a healer and receive an 8-10 minute healing. You will be served in the order in which you enter the center. Check web site for location. For more information, please call 860.301.1468 or visit www.simplyfitnessonline.com.

Wholistic HCG Weight Loss Program.

6:00pm. No painful injections, simple easy to follow plan, lose 10-30lbs in a month. 3 Week Program $295 (pre-paid), 6 Week Program $475 (pre-paid). Glastonbury Naturopathic Center, 18 School Street, Glastonbury. tel:860-657-4105, www.naturopathicwellness.com.

Thursday, August 11th The Graduate Institute Offers Community Breakfast. 8:30am -10am. Free. Interested degree candidates and members of the community are invited to a free orienta-

tion breakfast at The Graduate Institute of Bethany, CT. Meet the President, Founder, Faculty and learn about The Institute’s unique approach to higher education!

Call (203) 874-4252 or visit www.learn. edu/events to RSVP.

Saturday, August 13th Psychic Saturday. 10a.m. – 4p.m. $20.00 for a 20-minute reading. Intuitive and Angel Therapy Practitioner® Priscilla Bengtson will connect with her guides and angels to provide you with the information you need. Pre-scheduling is recommended. To pre-schedule an appointment, please call Priscilla at 860.301.1468 or visit www.simplyfitnessonline.com.

Sunday, August 14th Women’s Empowerment Meditation.

10am –12pm. $25.00. This guided meditation is specifically designed to the energy of the group. The energy of the group helps us to release those things that no longer serve our highest good and allow us to live an empowered life. To register, please call 860.301.1468 or visit www. simplyfitnessonline.com.

Lunar Flow Yoga. 6 – 8 pm. With Erika Halford. Pre-register/pre-pay for $20 or $25 at the door. Celebrate the full moon with a candle-lit, restorative practice that includes gentle backbends and hip-opening, forward bends and twists, inversions and special lunar meditation and ritual offering. Visit www.sacredriversyoga.com for more information. Space is limited so please pre-register by contacting Sacred Rivers Yoga, 2934 Main Street, Glastonbury, CT 06033, 860.657.9545

Monday, August 15th Yoga Nidra. No Cost. 1:15-1:45pm Instructor: Julie McNeal. Please, eat your lunch before or after this program. Yoga Nidra or the yoga psychic sleep is a guided meditation practice of deep relaxation that has been found to reduce tension and anxiety. The Institute of Integrative Manual Therapy, 800 Cottage Grove Road, Bldg 2, Bloomfield. Please contact Amanda Albrecht at AmandaAlbrecht@instituteofimt. com or call (860) 243 5220.

Tuesday, August 16th Simplify The Law of Attraction. 7:15-9:30 pm. $25. Many people are confused about the Law of Attraction and how to apply it effectively. Learn about the LOA in simple terms and receive clear tools for using the LOA and creating more of what you want in your life. Spirit Matters, 19 Pinney Street/Rt. 286, Ellington, CT, www.spiritmattersct.com. Register with Catherine Ewing, LCSW, MDiv at 860-871-9295 by August 13th.

Restorative Yoga. 7- 8:15pm. $16 drop in, class cards available. Join Gloria Lubenstein and benefit from committing to connecting with self in this restorative class.

The body will be warmed with a soft flow then experience deep relaxation with supported poses. The class will conclude with a guided meditation. Visit www.sacredriversyoga.com for more information. Sacred Rivers Yoga, 2934 Main Street, Glastonbury, 860.657.9545.

Wednesday, August 17th Frontiers of Learning: A Conference Celebrating Innovative Educators. Also Aug. 18th. 5 to 8 pm daily. Free. Join members of The Graduate Institute’s faculty for a free two-day conference focused on exploring cutting edge approaches to thinking, learning, and teaching. A series of free workshops are offered. Visit www.learn. edu/frontiers or call (203) 874-4252 for more information.

Powerful 21 Day Detoxification Program.

6:00pm. Our Program includes our complete Purification Kit , Program Guide with program instructions and foods allowed, support for success, and 3 Colon Hydrotherapy sessions with our I-ACT certified Colon Hydrotherapists. Summer Savings $555 (pre-paid). Glastonbury Naturopathic Center, 18 School Street, Glastonbury. tel:860-657-4105, www. naturopathicwellness.com.

Thursday, August 18th Learn to Meditate. 7-8:30pm. $10. Learn about the benefits of meditation and how to begin and maintain your own practice.

Classes include guided meditations, practical advice and time for questions. Pre registration appreciated. Simsbury United Methodist Church, 799 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury. 860-268-7251/ info@odiyana. org, www.meditationinconnecticut.org.

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Calendar Friday, August 19th Gallery Night. 6:30pm – 8:30pm. $45.00.

Enjoy an intimate evening of learning about angels and guides and experiencing intuitive readings with medium and certified Angel Therapy Practitioner®, Priscilla Bengtson. Everyone in attendance will receive a message. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. To register, please call 860.301.1468 or visit www. simplyfitnessonline.com.

Saturday, August 20th Reiki II. 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. $150.00.

Receive attunements to higher frequencies of universal energy and enhance your healing work. Learn how to do distance healing, as well as heal mental, emotional and past life issues. To register, please call 860.301.1468 or visit www.simplyfitnessonline.com.

Understanding Medical Contraindications for Yoga Asanas. 1 – 5pm. With Michael Pierce, MD & Paula Scopino LMT, E–RYT, IAYT. $100. This is part of an ongoing Yoga Therapy Teacher Training. Open to all Health Care Professionals (OT’s, PT’s, RYT’s, LMT’s, Naturopaths, Acupuncturists, etc). Continuing Education Units can be given to RYT’s. Visit www.sacredriversyoga.com for more information.

Pre-register by contacting 860.657.9545 Learn to Meditate. 10am - 12pm. $20.

Learn about the benefits of meditation and how to begin and maintain your own practice. Classes include guided meditations, practical advice and time for questions. Pre registration appreciated. Odiyana Meditation Center, 297 Oakland Rd. South Windsor. 860-268-7251/ info@ odiyana.org, www.meditationinconnecticut.org.

Taoist Healing Arts Day Retreat. 8:30 am to 6:30pm. Wu Healing Center and SunDo Mountain Taoism will host a oneday healing retreat of Chinese and Korean Taoist healing practices that cultivate Qi energy to improve health. Workshops include: Taoist Yoga Basics, Principles of Qi Gong, Five Element Healing, Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan, Breath Meditation and Taoist Chanting. $60 for the day, or

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bring a friend for the whole day and pay just $45 each. Guests may also register for a half-day - the morning program is $25 and the afternoon program is $35 per person. To register, call the SunDo Center at 860.523.5260 or email questions@sundo. org. For a full workshop schedule, visit www.sundo.org/events. Held at 45 South Main Street West Hartford CT 06107.

Wednesday, August 24th Trust Your Intuition. 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. $45.00. During this workshop we will explore the many ways using physical tools like billets, card decks and candles help us to connect with the spirit world. Working individually and in small groups, participants will experience new ways to connect and trust in their intuition. To register, please call 860.301.1468 or visit www. simplyfitnessonline.com.

Thursday, August 25th Master of Arts in Integrative Health and Healing: An Information Session. 4 pm in Hartford Hospital’s Special Dining Room.

Free. Interested candidates are invited to attend a free information on an exciting graduate program that explores complementary, alternative, and Western healing modalities. Call (203) 874-4252 or visit www.learn.edu/events to RSVP. Guided Meditation Retreat. Through Aug. 31st. Introduction 8/25 6-7:15pm, 8/268/31 check website for session times. $10 for intro class; $5/session; $15/day. Join us for a guided meditation retreat. This is an opportunity to discover fi¬rst-hand the benefits of meditation and to learn practical meditation techniques. Odiyana Meditation Center, 297 Oakland Rd., South Windsor. 860-268-7251/ info@odiyana. org, www.meditationinconnecticut.org.

Friday, August 26th Reiki 2nd Degree Workshop with Gigi Benanti.

Usui/Karuna Reiki Master/ Teacher. 10am to 5pm. Also Aug. 27th. Two special attunements, enhance/strengthen your Reiki, includes review to Reiki 1, information about essential oils and crystals, manual and certificate included. Angelic Healing Center, 7 Morgan Avenue, Norwalk. Pre-Registration required at 203852-1150 or angelhealreikigigib@snet.net.

Fee $215-225. www.angelhealreiki.com.

ONGOING EVENTS SUNDAYS Spiritual Cinema Circle. 7pm. Independent, spiritual filmmakers are creating inspirational movies with heart and soul.

First Sunday of every month, movie followed by discussion of the film. Free. Bring popcorn and an open mind. Move2Wellness located at Stonehouse Commons, 635 Danbury Road, Ridgefield. 203-4032522 or www.move2wellness.com.

Meditation Sunday Evenings. 7pm. The 3rd, 4th, 5th Sunday every month. Meditation led by a different practitioner every week. Experience different techniques and styles for your own practice. Free.

Move2Wellness is located at Stonehouse Commons, 635 Danbury Road, Ridgefield. 203-403-2522 or www.move2wellness.com.

MONDAYS Intro to Yoga. 6 Week Session Mondays July 11th - Aug. 15th 7:30pm. $89. This class is for students who are absolutely new to yoga. You will learn the names and proper alignment of the basic postures used in your weekly yoga classes. Fuller Yoga Pilates & Massage, 2450 Main St. Glastonbury, CT. 860-430-9642, www. fulleryoga.com.

Yoga Power. - Mondays and Wednesdays 6:00-7:15pm, Class Cards, Drop Ins and Monthly Memberships apply. Find more Energy, Strength and Power in your life with the healing detoxifying benefits of Yoga Power. With focused breathing and intense holding of postures you will break through the resistance that keeps you from achieving success. Fuller Yoga Pilates & Massage, 2450 Main St. Glastonbury, CT 860-430-9642, www.fulleryoga.com.

Athlete Yoga. 7 – 8 pm. With Pamela Besteman. $16 drop-in, class cards available.

By giving your body a chance to slow the breath down, to stretch out, you can minimize the negative affects of training and

help your body perform more efficiently and recover faster. Visit www.sacredriversyoga.com for more information. Sacred Rivers Yoga, 2934 Main Street, Glastonbury, CT 06033, 860.657.9545.

Morning Yoga. 9:30am. Class Cards, Drop Ins and Monthly Memberships apply. Class will begin with a warm up that utilizes variations of Sun Salutation. Then we will cultivate strength and awareness in the core, and later apply that awareness to standing postures and balancing. Cool down will consist of twists and forward folds. Fuller Yoga Pilates & Massage, 2450 Main St. Glastonbury, CT 860-430-9642, www.fulleryoga.com.

Tai Chi Class. 6-7pm. Instrutor, Ming Wu Ph.D., a doctor of Chinese Medicine who studied Tai Chi in China and US for 40 years, he received the authentic Yang Style teaching from his Sifu Grandmaster Gin Soon Chu, disciple of Yang Sau Chung.

He teaching Tai Chi in US for over twenty years. Mention this ad for first month free Tai Chi class on Monday ($60) or Saturday ($80) Exp. Oct 1, 2011. Wu Healing Center, 45 South Main Street, Suite #100, West Hartford, CT. 800-990-9332. www. wuhealing.com.

Belly Dance Fusion with Naima Provo.

7-8:30pm $20/ class, 10 classes for $170.

No experience necessary! Learn movements focusing on muscle isolation, core strength, and correct posture. Practice movements with drills & stretches to all types of music. Come wiggle & giggle with us! Move2Wellness is located at Stonehouse Commons, 635 Danbury Road, Ridgefield. 203-403-2522 or www. move2wellness.com.

TUESDAYS Intro to Pilates. 6 Week Session. 7/128/16. 7:30pm. $89. This class will ensure you execute the pilates exercises correctly to get the benefits of a strong core and reduced back pain. You will learn the pilates principles of Breathing, Pelvic Placement, Rib Cage Placement, Scapular Movement and Stabilization and Head and Cervical Placement. Please wear form fitting exercise clothing preferably black. Fuller Yoga Pilates & Massage, 2450 Main St. Glastonbury, CT. 860-430-9642, www.fulleryoga. com.

Kids Yoga (girls/boys ages 4-7). 4:30pm5:30pm. Enlightened Way Wellness Center.

2 Tunxis Road, Suite #208, Tariffville (Simsbury), CT 06081. (860) 217-0340. www. enlightenedway.com. Taught by Next Generation Yoga Instructor Jill Hebert.

All Levels Vinyasa. 5:45-6:45pm. $16 drop in, class cards available. Maeve Ryan combines the stretching and relaxation of gentle yoga with the heat-building core and balance work of vinyasa flow yoga.

All are welcome. Visit www.sacredriversyoga.com for more information. Sacred Rivers Yoga, 2934 Main Street, Glastonbury, CT. 06033. 860.657.9545.

WEDNESDAYS Yoga for Runners. 7 – 8pm. With Paula Scopino. $10 per person. Join the Glastonbury River Runners in a weekly yoga class designed specifically to stretch and strengthen the areas of the body that are affected by running. Visit www.sacredriversyoga.com for more information. Sacred Rivers Yoga, 2934 Main Street, Glastonbury, CT 06033, 860.657.9545.

Morning Yoga. 9:30am. Class Cards, Drop Ins and Monthly Memberships apply.

Class will begin with a warm up utilizing variations of Sun Salutation. Then strength and awareness in the core, and later apply that awareness to standing postures and balancing. Cool down with twists and forward folds. Fuller Yoga Pilates & Massage, 2450 Main St. Glastonbury, CT. 860-4309642. www.fulleryoga.com.

Deep Restorative Yoga. 7:30pm and Fridays at 6:00pm, Class Cards, Drop Ins and Monthly Memberships apply. This therapeutic style of yoga is often called “Active Relaxation” uses props to support the body while keeping it active in a relaxed, meditative state. The postures are designed for when you are feeling fatigued or stressed from daily life or when you just want to experience stillness. They can also help alleviate depression, reduce chronic pain, migraines and the symptoms of insomnia, asthma and to help recover from childbirth. Fuller Yoga Pilates & Massage, 2450 Main St. Glastonbury, CT 860-430-9642. www.fulleryoga.com.

Yoga Power. 6-7:15pm, Class Cards, Drop Ins and Monthly Memberships apply. Find more Energy, Strength and Power in your life with the healing detoxifying benefits of Yoga Power. With focused breathing and intense holding of postures you will break through the resistance that keeps you from achieving success. Fuller Yoga Pilates & Massage, 2450 Main St. Glastonbury, CT 860-430-9642, www.fulleryoga.com Kids Yoga (girls/boys ages 7-12). 4:305:30pm. Enlightened Way Wellness Center. 2 Tunxis Road, Suite #208, Tariffville (Simsbury). (860) 217-0340.www.enlightenedway.com. Taught by Yoga Kids Instructor Julie Erasmus.

THURSDAYS Kundalini Yoga & Meditation. 7 - 8:30 p.m. Cost $25. Kundalini Yoga is a sacred technology that awakens the spirit, energizes the body & relaxes the mind. Everybody can do this regardless of age, size and fitness level. It’s “90 minutes that can change your life.” Call or email to reserve.

Move2Wellness at Stonehouse Commons, 635 Danbury Road, Ridgefield. 203-4032522 or www.move2wellness.com.

FRIDAYS Yoga for Girls (ages 11-15). 3rd Friday each month! 5pm-6:30pm. Taught Youth Yoga instructor Julie Erasmus. Celebrate being a girl with this fun-filled yoga class!

Become inspired and learn to listen to your body and explore yoga and other healthy acitivites! Enlightened Way Wellness Center. 2 Tunxis Road, Suite #208, Tariffville (Simsbury), CT 06081. (860) 217-0340. www.enlightenedway.com.

Morning Yoga. 9:30am. Class Cards, Drop Ins and Monthly Memberships apply. See full description under Wednesday class Fuller Yoga Pilates & Massage, 2450 Main St. Glastonbury, CT 860-430-9642, www. fulleryoga.com

Therapeutic Yoga series. 9:30 - 10:30 am.

Thursdays, 8/4 - 8/ 25. $100 if registered by 8/1 or $125 after. Therapeutic Yoga is a particularly effective practice for those recovering from injury or living with a chronic illness. It blends restorative yoga (supported postures), gentle yoga, breathwork, hands-on healing, and guided meditation techniques combined in such a way that is an excellent choice for bringing the body into balance and reducing stress.

Private Therapeutic Yoga sessions are also available by appointment. Torus Bloom, LLC, Bushnell on the Park, 100 Wells Street, Suite 1A, Hartford, CT 06103. 860266-6238.TorusBloom@gmail.com www.

TorusBloom.com

SATURDAYS Tai Chi Class. 9-11am. Instrutor, Ming Wu Ph.D., a doctor of Chinese Medicine who studied Tai Chi in China and US for 40 years, he received the authentic Yang Style teaching from his Sifu Grandmaster Gin Soon Chu, disciple of Yang Sau Chung.

He teaching Tai Chi in US for over twenty years. Mention this ad for first month free Tai Chi class on Monday ($60) or Saturday ($80) Exp Oct 1, 2011. Wu Healing Center,45 South Main Street, Suite #100, West Hartford, CT. 800-990-9332. www. wuhealing.com.

Deep Restorative Yoga. 6:00pm, Class Cards, Drop Ins and Monthly Memberships apply. See full description under Tuesday class. Fuller Yoga Pilates & Massage, 2450 Main St. Glastonbury, CT. 860430-9642. www.fulleryoga.com

Community Resources ACUPUNCTURE

ACUPUNCTURE

ALLERGY TREATMENT CHIROPRACTIC

Stan Baker, L. Ac., Dipl. Ac.

Sophia Natural Health Center

Advanced Allergy Relief CT

35 Nod Road, Suite 106, Menla Holistic Health, Avon, CT. • (860) 836-1068 Stan Baker is a fully licensed Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine practitioner with offices in Avon, CT and Springfield, MA. He has been a practitioner in the Oriental healing arts for 25 years. He specializes in difficult cases including back pain/sciatica, headache/migraine, allergies, and arthritis. He is also a teacher of advanced Chen Tai Chi, Aikido and Sun Do Mt. Yoga.

Glastonbury Naturopathic Center Dr.Helene Pulnik, ND LAc. 18 School St., Glastonbury,Ct 6033 (860) 657- 4105, naturopathicwellness.com

Dr. Pulnik is a licensed, board certified Acupuncturist and Naturopathic Physician with over 25 years experience as a healthcare professional. She specializes in acupuncture for infertility, womens' health, migraines, anxiety/stress/ insomnia, arthritis, back & neck pain, sciatica, allergies, chronic sinusitis, and more. See our ad on page 6.

Kenneth Hoffman, D.Ac, L.Ac. 499 Federal Rd., Brookfield, CT (203) 740-9300 • SophiaNaturalHealth.com

Anne Mitchell, ND (203) 239-3400 • www.aarct.com North Haven & W. Hartford

Combining Chinese Medicine with modern science, we restore health by identifying imbalances that cause illness. Acupuncture, Allergy Elimination, Chronic Pain Relief, Hormone Balancing, Thermography, Detoxification. See ad on page 33.

Eliminate your allergic reactions using a technologically advanced treatment that corrects the body’s response to the offending food, pollen, mold, perfume, pets, etc. No medications. Non-invasive. Childfriendly. See ad on page 25.

BEE VENOM THERAPY

Glastonbury Naturopathic Center

Bee Well Therapy, Inc.

Alan Lorenzo, Stamford , CT (203) 322-7872 • BeeWellTherapy.com

Bee venom therapy can offer significant relief from the symptoms of spinal, neural, or muscular-skeletal ailments. The antibacterial, anti-viral, and cancer fighting properties of bee venom make it a unique weapon in controlling many diseases.

Please call for a free phone consultation. House calls only, by appointment. See ad on page 20.

18 School St., Glastonbury, Ct. 06033 (860) 657- 4105, naturopathicwellness.com

Dr. Helene Pulnik, ND is a certified Advanced Allergy Therapeutics Practitioner. Advanced Allergy Therapeutics (AAT) is a clinically proven treatment that is highly effective in relieving the many symptoms associated with allergies, food sensitivities, environmental sensitivies, IBS, headaches, skin problems and more. The AAT treatment does not rely on the use of medications, herbal remedies or supplements. The treatment is safe, painless and available to all ages including infants. See ad on page 6.

Chiropractic Health Ctr. of Glastonbury

2934 Main St.,Glastonbury, Ct 860-657-8800 • www.glastonburychiro.com Dr. Patrick DeFranceso, founder, is a board certified chiropractor with more than 20 years experience assisting patients. To deliver the highest standard of care Dr. DeFrancesco utilizes the state-of-the-art digital x-ray, the latest chiropractic tables and equipment. The office also offers therapeutic massage, nutrition counseling and monthly workshops. Our family of patients range in ages from newborns to senior citizens. The team at the office creates a comfortable and fun loving environment where individuals and families can reach and maintain optimal health and wellness with safe, natural and effective chiropractic care. Feeling good has never been so simple! See ad on page 29.

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Resources CHIROPRACTIC Dr. Charles B. Lerner, DC, LAc. Glastonbury Naturopathic & Acupuncture Center 18 School Street, Glastonbury, Ct. 860-657-4105 • naturopathicwellness.com

Dr. Charles Lerner offers expert Chiropractic and Acupuncture care for acute and chronic problems, both internal medical concerns and pain management. He's gentle, compassionate and treats his patients as whole beings, not symptoms or diseases. Dr. Lerner's approach to health and wellness is simple: he offers a complete method of care specifically designed around the patient’s needs and requirements. In addition to the variety of Chiropractic adjustment techniques, Dr. Lerner offers a wide variety of modalities including hot packs, electrical muscle stimulation, ultra sound therapy, low dose ultra sound therapy and vibration therapy. See ad on page 6.

Francis X. Tortora

Chiropractor, Board Certified Craniopath 22 Fifth, St., Ste. 208, Stamford, CT (203) 348-0678 See ad on page 33.

Westside Chiropractic

557 Prospect Avenue, West Hartford,CT (860) 523-5833 • westsidechiropractors.com

DENTISTRY The Canaan Gentle Dentle & Implant Center Dr. Thomas Livingstone 3-5 Railroad St. North Canaan, CT (860) 824-0751 livingstonedentalexcellence.com See ad on page 39.

Dr. Steven Hinchey

2249 New London Turnpike South Glastonbury, CT. (860) 633-6518 www.dentistryfordiabetics.com/drhinchey See ad on page 33.

Dr. Kevin Norige, D.M.D.

112 Deming St., South Windsor, CT. (860) 644-0113 Dr. Kevin Norige has been in practice for almost 30 years in South Windsor, CT. His services include Invisalign, Perio Protect, Lumineers, Snapon Smiles and Snap-it, Global Mini Implants, and non-surgical periodontal treatments. He is a member of the ADA, CSDA, and the Hartford Dental Society. He is a clinician with the CT Mission of Mercy Dental Clinic and also serves as a facilitator to dental students at the Univ. of CT. See ad on page 25.

Our mission is to provide chiropractic care, naturally based generalist, primary or specialty health care, for persons of all ages. We are committed to educating our patients about their health and wellness and providing them with tools for self improvement. We seek to work in partnership with you to achieve good health and well being in a way consistent with your way of life. Visit our location in West Hartford See ad on page 26.

Glastonbury Naturopathic Center 18 School St., Glastonbury, Ct. 06033 (860) 657- 4105, naturopathicwellness.com

Constance Jones is New England’s senior Colon Hydrotherapist. During her 30 years of practice, she has performed nearly 50,000 colonics. Connie is certified through both the International Association of Colon Hydrotherapists (I-ACT) and The National Board for Colon Hydrotherapy. She creates a nurturing, serene, and safe environment, and maintains your utmost privacy and comfort. www.cleanmycolon.com. See our ad on page 6.

COMPOUNDING PHARMACY

Bryce Rx Laboratories, Inc.

30 Buxton Farms Road, Stamford, CT 06905 800-798-7279 • www.brycerx.com Bryce Rx Laboratories is a full service Compounding Pharmacy specializing in the formulation of drugs that are not commercially available. From impotence injections, bio-identical hormones, pain management, and veterinary (this list is not inclusive). Please note, all compounded medications require a prescription from a physician. See ad on page 6.

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Enlightened Way Wellness Center

2 Tunxis Road Suite 208, Tarrifville, CT 06081 860.217.0340 • wisdom@enlightenedway.com www.enlightenedway.com Enlightened Way is a tranquil wellness center dedicated to inspiring transformation, providing knowledge, restoring balance, and creating joy and fulfillment in peoples’ lives. We’ve developed an array of programs and services designed to foster and support a life of vitality and balance for everyone. Our services include daily yoga classes, therapeutic and Ayurvedic massages, free group meditations, and Kids’ yoga. We also offer programs such as Children’s Relaxation, Perfect Health/Ayurvedic Lifestyle and Primordial Sound Meditation.

HYPNOSIS

860-933-8255 www.cassandraforsythe.com

Cassandra Forsythe is a certified Registered Dietitian and holds her PhD in exercise science and nutrition from the University of Connecticut.

She specializes in weight loss, heart health, high blood pressure, sports nutrition, low carb diets, detox and healthy eating. Contact her today to get your nutrition and health on track.

Manchester Parkade, 378 West Middle Tpke, Manchester, CT • 860.646.8178 M-Sat 8am-9pm • Sun 9am-6pm The Manchester Parkade Health Shoppe is an information and service-oriented health food store that has served its community since 1956. Owner, Michael Dworkin, P.D., M.S., a Registered Pharmacist and State Certified Clinical Nutritionist, is available for consultation by appointment. Our other staff nutrition consultants provide customers with instore guidance in choosing vitamins, herbs, sports nutrition products, natural body care, natural and allergen-free foods, and life style changes. Many of our products are discounted every day. Ask us about our gym and other special discounts. See ad on page 20.

Inner Wisdom Guide 10 Crossroads Plaza, West Hartford, CT. 860-232-3331 • info@clare-ity.com The Clare-ity Method is a comprehensive tool for discovering what’s next in your personal and business life. An Akashic Record reading provides your soul’s perspective on all aspects of your life.

Combine this with Robin’s 30 + years in business and you have an evolutionary business service!

MARTIAL ARTS Copper Mountain Aikido

21 Copper Hill Road, Granby, CT 06035 (860)986-3617, cpprmtnaikido@gmail.com

HYPNOTHERAPY/NLP

MASSAGE

All that is, was first created in the mind.

Nishanto Kane is a certified Eriksonian Hypnotist, Master NLP practitioner, Reconnection practitioner, Aura/Chakra Analyst.

She has over 25 years experience in assisting many to stop smoking, release self-sabotaging habits, develop beliefs to attract abundance and well being, eliminate per allergies, anxieties, phobias, weight gain, stress, alcohol abuse, insomnia, improve school grades and more. Offering Chakra analysis - this amazing scientific state of the art technology allows you and the practitioner to view your aura.

Through interpretation you can learn to bring yourself into physical, mental and emotional balance.

HEALTH FOOD STORES Parkade Health Shoppe

Robin Clare

Mind Body Transformation Hypnosis is a Certified Hypnotist specializing in fast and effective methods for weightloss, stress, fear, pain, smoking, etc. Hypnosis, Thought Field Therapy™, Time Line Therapy™ & NLP. Call for a free consultation. See ad on page 37.

1177 High Ridge Road, Stamford, CT. (203)595-0110 • mindbodytransformation.com

Hypnosis, Master NLP Practitioner Aura,Chakra Analysis, Meditation Simsbury, CT. (860) 658-9678 www.minddesigning.net

Cassandra Forsythe, PhD, RD

INSPIRATION

Copper Mountain Aikido is a member of Birankai International (North America) under the direction of T. K. Chiba, Shihan. Birankai International is recognized by the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Japan.

Copper Mountain Aikido is a traditional Japanese “country-style” dojo offering Aikido, Aikido Weapons, Internal Aiki Training, Iaido (Japanese Sword Art), and Zazen (Zen Meditation). All instruction is conducted by the Certified Chief Instructor licensed under Birankai International (North America). All are welcome!

Diane Bahr-Groth, C. Hy., TFT, Dir.

Nishanto Kane...MindDesigning

FITNESS/NUTRITION COLON HYDROTHERAPY

HOLISTIC HEALTH CENTERS

IN-HOME CARE New England Nightingales, LLC Assisted Living in the Home 406 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06032 PH. 860-676-7786, Fax 860-676-7704

New England Nightingales, LLC was founded

by Cynthia Ebanks, a registered nurse with more than twenty-five years experience in patient care. We make living at home the right choice for you and your loved ones by helping with the activities of daily living. From our coaching and mentoring services for family caregivers to hourly assistance or 24/7 care, we provide the services you need to manage the various stages of illness, trauma, or dementia. Whatever you need . . .whenever you need it. . we’ll be there.

See ad on page 9.

Wholistic Spa

18 School Street, Glastonbury 06033.

(860) 657-4105, www.wholisticspa.com.

Dr. Helene Pulnik ND, LAc, Med. Director Wholistic Spa™ is a haven of total wellness.

From the moment you step into our quiet space, we are focused on your complete wellness. Our treatments at Wholistic Spa™ use the purest natural and organic ingredients, with no toxic synthetic ingredients. We offer organic facials, hand & foot treatments and signature massage services for women, men and couples, featuring EMINENCE Organic Skin Care from Hungary. Inner Health. Outer Beauty™.

See ad on page 6.

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE CT Natural Health Specialists

Lauren Gouin, ND 135 Center St., Manchester, CT (860) 533-0179 • www.ctnaturalhhealth.com Dr. Lauren Gouin is a naturopathic physician with a family practice in Manchester and South Windsor. Dr. Gouin is accepting new patients and is in network with most insurance companies. For more information, contact her at (860)644-2437 or visit www.ctnhs.com. See ad on page 7.

Debra Gibson, ND

158 Danbury Road, Suite 8, Ridgefield, CT 06877 • (203)431-4443 Natural family healthcare using nutrition and biochemistry; herbal, homeopathic, and energetic medicine; lifestyle transformation and detoxification, to promote well-being of body, mind, and spirit.

See ad on page 30.

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE Glastonbury Naturopathic Ctr. 18 School Street, Glastonbury Dr. Helene Pulnik. (860) 657-4105 www.naturopathicwellness.com

Glastonbury Naturopathic Ctr. is a multidisciplinary healthcare center focusing on natural alternatives for individuals to achieve and maintain optimal health. Dr. Helene Pulnik, ND, LAc. is a board-certified licensed Naturopathic Physician and Acupuncturist with over 25 years experience as a healthcare professional. Offering Naturopathic Medicine, Colon Hydrotherapy, Acupuncture, Cleansing & Detoxification Programs, Weight Management Programs. See ad on page 6.

Kensington Naturopathic Medical Ctr.

Dr. Ann Aresco 355 New Britain Rd, Kensington, CT (860) 829-0707 • drannaresco@comcast.net kensingtonnaturopathic.com Centrally located in Connecticut, Kensington Naturopathic Medical Center p r ov i d e s c o m p r e h e n s ive family healthcare. Our team of specialized health professionals is dedicated to facilitating our patients’ optimal health, and offers a wide range of services, including supplementation, homeopathy, acupuncture and Chinese herbs as well as nutrition, holistic health counseling and weight loss/life style changes. See ad on page 14.

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE West Hartford Naturopathic Medicine 301 N. Main St., West Hartford, CT (860) 232-9662 • www.DRAIETA.com

Dr. Frank Aieta, founder of West Hartford Naturopathic Medicine, is a board certified licensed Naturopathic Physician who specializes in the treatment of both acute and chronic disease utilizing the most advanced natural therapeutics. He offers a wide range of natural, non-toxic treatments which include: Acupuncture, Spinal Manipulation, Clinical Nutrition, Detoxification, Pain Management, Herbal Medicine and Natural Hormone Balancing. See ad on page 39.

NUTRITION Holcare Nutrition Vicki Kobliner MS RD 3 Hollyhock Lane, Suite 2A, Wilton, CT 06897 203-834-9949 • www.holcarenutrition.com Vicki Kobliner MS RD, CD-N is a Registered Dietitian and owner of Holcare Nutrition.

Vicki works with infants, through adults with chronic illnesses, digestive disorders, food allergies, ADHD and autism and provides fertility and prenatal nutrition counseling. She is a contributing author to A Compromised Generation: The Epidemic of Chronic Illness in Americas Children. See ad on page 33.

PHYSICIANS, M.D. Natural Health & Healing, LLC

Deanna M. Cherrone, MD 60 East Main Street, Avon, CT. (860) 677-4600 • naturalhealthandhealing.net Dr. Deanna Cherrone, founder of Natural Health & Healing, is a board certified Internal Medicine physician who has changed the focus of her practice from traditional Internal Medicine to Functional Medicine. Functional Medicine is a science based approach to health care that involves looking at each patient as a whole being with interconnected systems that function best when they are all in balance.

See ad on back cover.

Optimal Health Medical, LLC Henry C. Sobo, MD • (203) 348-8805 www.DrSobo.com

Medical doctor practicing holistic/alternative medicine and weight reduction in Stamford, CT. Nutrition, Allergy Desensitization, Bioidentical Hormone Replacement for men and women. See ad page 13.

Tamara Sachs, MD

Functional Medicine & Integrative Care 15 Bennitt St., New Milford, CT (860) 354-3304 • www.tsachsmd.intranets.com See ad on page 42.

PHYSICIANS, M.D. William Nager, ND, DC

11 Mountain Ave., Ste. 201, Bloomfield, CT • (860) 242-8200 William Nager is a 1985 Graduate of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, in Portland Oregon. He also earned a second degree in chiropratic medicine from Western State Chiropractic College. For the past 25 years Dr. Nager has practiced family medicine using non-toxic therapies for digestive disorders, anxiety, and depression, fatigue, back pain, eczema, allergies, hypertension, high cholesterol and pain management as well as other conditions within the scope of a general family medicine practice. See ad on page 42.

The Wellness Institute Marvin Schweitzer, ND 1 Westport Ave, Norwalk, CT (203) 847-2788

Dr. Schweitzer treats all ages with natural therapies including homeopathy, herbal medicine, enzymes, nutritional supplements and more. His advanced cutting-edge technologies evaluate underlying causes and create individualized treatment plans. ASYRA, Ondamed, BrainPaint, footbaths, acupuncture and oxygen therapies are used to achieve optimal health. Allergy desensitization, detoxification programs, immune system support, Lyme disease issues and other wellness protocols are included in his personalized care.

See ad on page 30.

Advance Biomedical Treatment Center, LLC

(formerly Avon Therapeutic Center) Eileen C. Comia, M.D. 701 Cottage Grove Road Ste., C-10 Bloomfield, CT 06002 Tel. 860.242.2200 • Fax 860.242.2212 www.AdvBioMedTx.com Dr. Eileen Comia is a board certified Internal Medicine specialist with16 yrs of experience in private practice.

In 2002, she founded Avon Therapeutic Center (now Advance Biomedical Treatment Center) specializing in Integrative Medicine. She offers a unique practice using Functional Medicine in the treatment of chronic illnesses. She is a seasoned Defeat Autism Now! Practitioner of 10 years and a member of ACAM (American College for Advancement in Medicine). See ad on page 23.

Center for Integrative Healthcare & Healing 533 Cottage Grove Rd, Bloomfield, CT (860) 243-2224 • www.cmgmds.com/cihh.html The first of its kind in the country, Connecticut Multispecialty Group (CMG) is a large multispecialty group with its own Integrative Medicine Department. The physician-directed model uniquely blends conventional medicine with complementary therapies. Over 70 physicians work collaboratively with licensed massage therapists, licensed acupuncturists, certified energy workers, and registered dieticians. The end result is comprehensive model of healthcare delivery that focuses on whole person wellness and optimal health. CMG also features an electronic health record that interconnects all providers and offers portable flash drives with personal health information to all its clients. See ad on page 3.

OSTEOPATHIC PHYS. Origins Of Health, LLC

Jill Moorcroft, DO, Tom Moorcroft, DO 844 Hebron Avenue, Glastonbury, CT 860-430-9790 • www.OriginsOfHealth.com Origins Of Health is a holistic medical center that specializes in Osteo pathicManipulation,inclu ding Cranial Osteopathy, Integrative Medicine and Nutrition. Founders Drs. Tom and Jill Moorcroft integrate their personal passion and extensive training as Family Medicine Physicians while working with you to develop a personalized approach to health that stimulates the self-healing forces within. Our goal is to assist you in realizing optimum health while being free to enjoy life and all it has to offer. See ad on page 16.

Osteopathic Wellness Center, LLC

David L. Johnston, DO • Lisa Preston, DO 158 Danbury Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877 (203) 438-9915 • www.osteopathicwellness.net Gentle, natural, hands-on, osteopathic medical care for infants, children and adults. Childrens’ health and development, birth trauma, musculoskeletal pain and injuries, nutrition and wellness counseling, stress reduction, immune support, allergies. Most major insurances accepted. See ad on page 20.

PSYCHOTHERAPIST Lori Carpenos & Associates

566 Prospect Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105 www.3PrinciplesTherapy.com • 860-561-1919 We provide retreats, seminars, and trainings for Executives, Leaders, Couples, and Individuals who are interested in moving beyond their current level of consciousness in work and life, with less stress, and more enjoyment. If you would like to enjoy more creativity, productivity, satisfaction and less stress in life, whether alone or with others, please call to discuss a program that will meet your needs. See ad on page 24.

Soul Support Counseling Nancy M Brockett, PhD, LPC West Hartford, CT 860.223.2232 soul-support.org

Feeling stressed, confused, anxious or depressed? Imagine yourself breaking free from worries and fear and then confidently doing what you haven't been able to before! We work together from the perspective of the whole self to get to the heart of what’s troubling you. Using painless, drug-free treatments, Dr Brockett helps you uncover and build on your own inner strengths so you can free yourself from negativity and live with more joy in your life. See ad on page 41.

Inner Change Holistic Counseling Deni Weber, MA, LPC, DCEP Weston, CT. • 203-544-6094 DeniWeber.com

With compassion, intuition and wisdom Deni guides individuals on their journey of regaining lost power leading to renewed purpose, well-being, and emotional balance. Specializing in mind-body therapies with clinical certifications in Body-Oriented Psychotherapy and Energy Psychology she works with adults, teens and children healing traumatic stress related to Abuse, AD/HD, Learning Disabilities, Chronic Illness, Lyme Disease, and Autistic Spectrum.

RELATIONSHIP COACH Candace Brindley

(203) 247-4613 • Rich-Relationships.com.

Certified Master Relationship Coach Candace Brindley coaches singles and couples to find and create the relationships of their dreams. Motivated by her desire to reverse the trend toward relationship failure and family break-up, Candace coaches using current research and skills, giving clients a fresh and intelligent approach to partnering.

RETREAT CENTERS

Still Waters Pond, LLC

280 Shetucket Turnpike Voluntown, CT 06384 860-543-3244 • stillwaterspond.com Group leaders interested in workshop/retreat space: Still Waters is nestled among 100 acres of pine forest and a private-10-acre pond. Comfortable, rustic lodging includes a two-bedroom, furnished cottage with full kitchen (sleeps four), Guest House (sleeps 11) and 1200-sq.ft. Art & Yoga Studio. Contact us to arrange a tour. See ad on page 23.

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Resources SCHOOLS Connecticut Institute for Herbal Studies

LauraMignosa, NCCH 900 Wells Road (RT. 175) Wethersfield, (860)666-5064 www.ctherbschool.com.

Founded in 1992, the CT Institute of Herbal Studies focuses on Traditional Chinese Medicine and offers a Certified Herbology Program with a foundation in both theory and clinical diagnosis as practiced in China today.

The Graduate Institute

Leslie Cahill, Director of Admissions, Recruitment (203) 874-4252 • www.learn.edu.

The Graduate Institute is an accredited institution of higher education that offers Master of Arts degrees in emerging fields of inquiry. Degree programs include: Experiential Health and Healing, Peace Studies, Oral Traditions, Holistic Thinking, and Conscious Evolution. Classes meet one weekend per month and programs are offered in Hartford, Bethany, New Milford, and Stamford, CT. For more information or to find an Information Session near you, call (203) 8744252 or visit www.learn.edu. See ad on page 40.

SKINCARE Anew You Skincare & Wellness Center

Melissa Martin, 16A Ensign Drive, Avon.

(860)284-9730, www.anewyouskincare.net Melissa@anewyouskincare.net We are committed to strengthening your overall well-being and skin health through the use of excellent quality products and extraordinary services that produce amazing results. Only natural ingredients are used, including plenty of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential oils! We want you to be "WOWED"! See ad on page 7.

SOCIAL WORK Michael Westfall, LCSW

243 East Center Street Manchester, CT 06040 • (860) 212-8923.

Michael Westfall is a licensed clinical social worker with a practice in Manchester, CT. He has extensive experience with children and teens but works with many adults and couples as well.

In network with most state and commercial insurances, he is accepting new clients at this time.

Please visit the website: michaelwestfall.com or call him at (860) 212-8923. See ad on page 26.

SPAS / DAY SPAS Wholistic Spa

18 School St., Glastonbury, CT • (860) 657-4105 www.wholisticspa.com. • Dr. Helene Pulnik, Med. Director Wholistic Spa™ is a haven of total wellness.

From the moment you step into our quiet space, we are focused on your complete wellness. Our treatments use the purest natural and organic ingredients, with no toxic synthetic ingredients.

We offer organic facials, hand & foot treatments and signature massage services for women, men and couples, featuring EMINENCE Organic Skin Care from Hungary. We also offer an array of deeply therapeutic and purifying services to help you achieve optimal health from the inside out!

Inner Health. Outer Beauty™. See ad on page 6.

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TAI CHI Wu Healing Center

45 South Main Street, Suite #100 West Hartford, CT • 800-990-9332 978-790-8888 (Cell) • www.wuhealing.com Ming Wu, Ph.D., Doctor of Chinese Medicine, Herbalist, Tui Na Therapy, Tai Chi Master Tai Chi Class on Mondays 6-7pm and Saturdays 9-11am, the instrutor, Ming Wu Ph.D., a doctor of Chinese Medicine who studied Tai Chi in China and US for 40 years, he received the authentic Yang Style teaching from his Sifu Grandmaster Gin Soon Chu, disciple of Yang Sau Chung. He teaching Tai Chi in US for over twenty years. Mention this ad for first month free Tai Chi class on Monday ($60) or Saturday ($80) Exp Oct 1, 2011.

THERMOGRAPHY Sophia Natural Health Center

499 Federal Rd., Brookfield, CT (203) 740-9300 • SophiaNaturalHealth.com As the hormone experts, we specialize in women’s health, natural hormone balancing, breast cancer prevention and thermography utilizing the highest definition camera in the area with interpretations from MD specialists in the field.

Thermogram results include a free 15-minute phone consultation. See ad on page 33.

X to Rays, LLC

VIBRATIONAL/ ENERGY HEALING Dr. Helene Pulnik, ND, LAc. Level II Usui Reiki Practitioner

Glastonbury Naturopathic Center 18 School Street, Glastonbury, Ct. 06033 860-657-4105 • naturopathicwellness.com Reiki Energy Medicine is a soft and gentle handson technique supports and connects all the major and minor Energy Chakra Centers of the body, leaving you feeling relaxed, balanced and refreshed! Reiki Energy Medicine works to assist in relieving or reducing pain and discomfort by balancing the body’s energy system. When the energy flow in your body is restored and/or balanced, you are more likely to feel relaxed and your body’s natural healing abilities are utilized.

Dr. Helene Pulnik ND, LAc. is a Certified Level II Usui Reiki Practitioner. See ad on page 6.

Reconnection Practitioners of CT Wendy Tanzer Gelven • 860-989-1997 Ken Lara, 914-255-8804 Jennifer Jensen, 860-297-1543 Kevin Jensen, 860-297-1543 Janet Miller • 860-985-7260 Annette Moreland • 860-818-1897

Wendy, Kevin and Jennifer are all trained facilitators of Reconnective Healing and The Reconnection. Reconnective Healing connects us to the fullness of the universe as it reconnects us to the fullness of our beings and who we really are. Reconnecting us to the universe and to our very essence through an entirely new bandwidth healing frequencies. Call today and experience this new hands-off healing for yourself. See ad on page 37.

Suzanne Pyle, MS, CCT 35 Boston Street, Guilford, CT 866.986.7297 or 203 331-2878 www.xtorays.com Suzanne is a board certified clinical thermographer. She offers totally safe (no radiation), painless (no compression), 97% accurate FDA approved breast cancer screening. With a masters in Nutrition, Suzanne also advises on breast and body health. Scans for thyroid, lung, liver, gall bladder, pancreas and ovaries are also available. Call for locations throughout CT.

VIBRATIONAL/ ENERGY HEALING Lightworker of Vibrational Energy LLC, L.O.V.E.

Simply Fitness for the spirit, mind and body

Priscilla Bengtson, ATP®, 122A Naubuc Avenue, Ste 210, Glastonbury, CT • (860)632-8434) simplyfitnessonline.com Simply fitness for the spirit, mind and body offers programs and services that help spiritual beings get unstuck in their human experience. Owner Priscilla Bengtson is dedicated to helping people live a joyous and fulfilled life and offers classes and workshops that help people achieve this. Private sessions are offered for intuitive and angel readings, hypnosis, reiki, mandala healing, and health coaching. Psychic parties are also offered in your home or at the center. See ad on page 24.

VETERINARY CARE

Gayle Franceschetti Med,CHt. 36 Cheshire Rd., Wallingford,CT 203-265-2927 • www.return2love.net

Mobile Pet Vet

Gayle Franceschetti is the founder of the L.O.V.E. Institute and is an acclaimed intuitive counselor and healer, Reiki Master, certified Hypnotherapist and past life regressionist. As an open channel for Divine Energy, Gayle integrates the power of universal love, compassion and understanding in all her workshops and healing sessions.

Gayle conducts healing and mentoring sessions in person, by phone and hosts a variety of workshops and power journeys throughout the U.S. and around the world. See ad on page 17.

Mobile Pet Vet is a veterinary housecall practice providing wellness care for dogs and cats. By treating pets at home we reduce their stress and their exposure to infection.

Pets with chronic health problems such as diabetes, kidney disease and other endocrine disorders often benefit from home-based care.

We spend time developing an individualized treatment plan for each animal and we offer a full range of laboratory services. Our flexible scheduling accommodates busy pet owners.

See ad on page 35.

Kim Rio, DVM (203)584-1210 • www.mobile-pet-vet.com

WELLNESS CENTERS The Center for Health Renewal C. Evers Whyte, MS, DC, DACBN 30 Myano Lane, Suite 26, Stamford, CT 06902 • (203) 708-9299

Providing holistic integrative medicine and MediCalm Pain Relief Therapy to patients of all ages. Specialist in treating chronic pain, and also a “medical detective,” helping patients heal other chronic conditions that have not responded to traditional drug therapy or surgery. For more information, please see: www.thecenterforhealthrenewal.com & www.MediCalmPainReliefTherapy.com. See ad on page 19.

Move 2 Wellness

Stonehouse Commons, 635 Danbury Road Ridgefield, CT • 203-403-2522 www.move2wellness.com Massage Therapy • Acupuncture • Yoga Relax & discover the direction of your unique inner compass. Take a much deserved break from “doing” & practice “being.” Come visit our beautiful studio &healing arts center located in the newly restored Stonehouse Commons.

See ad on page 35.

WEIGHT LOSS The Life Center

2 Broadway, North Haven CT 1007 Farmington Ave, Suite 7A, W. Hartford CT 203-710-6605 • alifecenter@yahoo.com Are you frustrated because you want to lose weight but cannot figure out how? Do you exercise but it doesn’t seem to help? Are you sabotaging yourself by overeating or emotional eating even though you have the best of intentions? Get off the dieting merry-go-round and FINALLY achieve your ideal weight? The Life Diet matches your nutrition to your metabolism.

Most Insurances accepted. We offer a medically supervised weight loss program with whole foods, individualized nutrition, meal planning, and weight loss coaching. See ad on page 25.

YOGA / PILATES CENTERS Fuller Yoga, Pilates & Massage 860-951-9642 • info@fulleryoga.com www.fulleryoga.com

Hartford’s largest yoga/pilates/ massage studio provides a serene and vibrant space to experience personal growth and awareness. We promote a non-competitive, friendly environment for every individual to journey physically and mentally towards their true self. Give yourself the gift of complete presence. We have classes for everyone at all levels. All modalities of massage available. Private yoga/pilates sessions are also available. See ad on page 14.

Sacred Rivers Yoga

Paula Scopino LMT, E-RYT 500 IAYT, Owner / Director 2934 Main Street, Glastonbury, CT 06033 PH. 860.657.9545 • FAX. 860.657.3161 www.sacredriversyoga.com. See ad on page 41.

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A Guided ApproAch to optimAl heAlth

Natural

Health & Healing

llc

AreAs of focus

Anti-Aging (Optimal Aging) • Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy • Detoxification Food Sensitivities • Heavy Metal Testing & Oral Chelation • Menopause & Andropause Mind Body Medicine • Weight Loss • Neurotransmitter Testing • Quantum Biofeedback Thyroid, Adrenal Testing & Treatment • Nutritional & Lifestyle Counseling

Are you sick and tired of feeling sick and tired?

Do you believe you should feel better than you do?

Many of my patients are simply looking for a doctor who will listen and explore the root cause of their symptoms which commonly include: Fatigue • Brain Fog • Sugar Cravings • Headaches • Depression Stress & Anxiety • Decreased Libido • Aches & Pains • Decreased Stamina Constipation • Allergies • Inability to Lose Weight • Insomnia

“I blend the best of traditional and alternative therapies to help your body function at its best.”

Deanna M. Cherrone, M.D. (860) 677- 4600 60 East Main Street, Avon CT. 06001 www.naturalhealthandhealing.net 48

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