Oregon Healthy Living

FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL. 10 — ISSUE 2

Asian Flavors

PLUS Acupuncture options Shiatsu massage Martial arts O regOn H ealtHy l iving . cOm

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Table of Contents

FEBRUARY 2017 | VOLUME 10 — ISSUE 2

FOOD

COVER STORY

Asian Flavors: Experimenting with Eastern entrées

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FITNESS

Sticking to Fitness Goals: Incorporating martial arts equipment

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HEALTH

Acupuncture Options: Various traditions and methods

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PAMPER

Feeling pressured?

Shiatsu is on point

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NATURAL

Probiotic bonanza: Kombucha for the gut

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On the cover

The editor’s desk February is a month packed with cultural holidays. My family always enjoys the Lunar New Year events in Jacksonville each year. Using the holiday for inspiration, we pulled together a variety of topics related to Asian influences in food and health. Next month, we will include a reprise of the “2016 Best of the Best” award winners in health, fitness and wellness categories in case you missed the results last fall. We will also dive into aquatic fitness.

Food blogger Tessa DeLine of Medford used a handmade batik as the background for her Indonesian Spicy Fruit Salad. “The fabric is an Indonesian sarong that belonged to my great-grandmother,” she said. “It’s at least 75 years old.” DeLine enjoyed Asian this month’s challenge to Flavors use Asian ingredients in healthy dishes.”The spicy heat of some these dishes can easily be adjusted to taste,” she advised.

FEBRUARY 2017 | VOL. 10 — ISSUE 2

PLUS

Acupuncture options Shiatsu massage Martial arts

O regOn H ealtHy l iving . cOm

crose@mailtribune.com

STAFF

EDITOR: Cheryl P. Rose DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Bret Jackson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Tessa DeLine, Sarah Lemon, Rebecca Scott, Haley Strahan, Cindy Quick Wilson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Tessa DeLine, David Gibb

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FOOD

Umami Up Experiment with flavors and produce from the Orient RECIPES AND PHOTOS BY TESSA DELINE

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xotic as they seem, Asian ingredients are readily available at local, well-stocked grocery stores and Asian markets. During the winter, why not heat things up by experimenting with some spicy additions such as sambal oelek?

(Sambal oelek is HOT so use sparingly.)

Other Asian staples such as wakame, miso, sesame oil and fish sauce add distinctive flavors to vegetable, noodle and tofu dishes. The following recipes focus on fresh and healthy ingredients, utilizing these tastes of the East.

INDONESIAN SPICY FRUIT SALAD Ingredients: 1 hothouse (English) cucumber, chopped 1 small jicama, peeled and chopped 1 star fruit, chopped 2 apples, cored and chopped 1 orange, peeled and segmented 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon Indonesian sweet soy sauce 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (red chili pepper paste) or to taste 2 teaspoons tamarind paste 1 teaspoon minced ginger

Directions: Peel and/or core apple, orange and jicama. Cut all fruit and cucumber into similar-sized pieces. Add to medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, water, Indonesian soy sauce, sambal oelek, tamarind paste and ginger. Add sauce mixture to fruit mixture and toss lightly. Place in refrigerator for at least a ½ hour to allow flavors to blend.

Note: Other fruit, such as mango, banana, pear, papaya, grapefruit and/or pineapple, may be used.

Servings: 4 - 6

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FOOD

MISO SOUP Ingredients: 3 cups dashi (Japanese cooking stock) or 3 cups water with 1 teaspoon instant dashi 3 tablespoons white miso 6 ounces soft tofu 1-2 tablespoons dried wakame (seaweed) 1-2 green onions, sliced thin Directions: In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, whisk miso into dashi until miso is dissolved. Bring to a light simmer. Meanwhile, rehydrate wakame in ¼ cup warm water for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and chop wakame into small, bite-sized pieces. Cut tofu into ½-inch cubes. Add wakame and tofu to bowls. Ladle hot soup mixture into bowls.

Garnish with green onion.

Servings: 3

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FOOD

STEAMED BABY BOK CHOY Ingredients: 1 pound baby bok choy 1 tablespoon white miso 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon brown sugar ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted Directions: Wash and trim bottoms of baby bok choy. Cut bok choy in half. Add bok choy to steamer basket and steam over salted water for about 3 minutes or until fork tender. Meanwhile, whisk together white miso, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, brown sugar and ¼ cup of water in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until miso is dissolved and mixture is hot. Remove bok choy from steamer basket. Place bok choy on plate and drizzle sauce over the bok choy. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Servings: 4

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FOOD

BEAN SPROUT SALAD Ingredients: 1 pound bean sprouts 2–3 tablespoons sesame oil (or more to taste) 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon mirin 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds, toasted 2 green onions, sliced thin 1 tablespoon Korean red chili flakes (optional) Directions: Bring a pot of salted (1 teaspoon salt) water to boil. Add bean sprouts and cook for about 30 seconds. Immediately remove sprouts and plunge into icy cold water. Drain and pat sprouts dry. Meanwhile, whisk together sesame oil, fish sauce, mirin, garlic, sesame seeds and, if you would like to turn up the heat, add the optional red chili flakes. Add to bean sprout mixture and coat well. Garnish with green onion.

Servings: 6

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FOOD

MANGO VINAIGRETTE Ingredients: 1 mango 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar 1 tablespoon orange juice ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground sage

Directions: Peel, seed and dice the mango. Add all ingredients to blender and puree. Taste and correct your seasonings.

Servings: 4-6

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FITNESS

Spicing up Fitness with Martial Arts Moves Ancient combat techniques improve strength, stamina, reflexes and coordination TEXT BY CINDY QUICK WILSON PHOTOS BY DAVID GIBB

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f boring old bicep curls have you making excuses to skip the gym, some local fitness trainers believe the integration of martial arts moves can reshape and reenergize workouts. Best known as formal disciplines used for self-defense, many techniques utilized on a more casual basis can achieve a variety of physical and mental benefits.

“When it comes to fitness there are so many options available,” says Peter Wolf, a martial arts practitioner and personal trainer. “It comes down to your personal goals and what you actually have time for.

If you’re not willing to spend hours at the gym, you need to get the maximum results during the time you do spend exercising.”

Martial arts styles such as judo, karate and kendo, to name just a few, were

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Nina RadhaKrishna, Michael Sotos and Hari-Om RadhaKrishna of Ashland practice with kali sticks.

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FITNESS originally developed as a system of combat moves. The various disciplines, many originating in Asia, are generally broken into striking or stand-up styles, grappling or ground fighting, throwing or take-down moves, weapons-based, or more meditative practices, such as like tai chi.

“Use only that which works and take it from any place you can find it.” -Bruce Lee Wolf, whose life-long passion for martial arts took him all the way to China for training, says that in terms of fitness, he uses moves from a variety of disciplines without the strict formality of the individual styles.

“You use it for inspiration, but since this is not a formal martial arts class, you don’t have to worry about belt rankings or obey tradition quite so much.” Wolf admits that from a trainer’s point of view, it’s a lot more interesting than just counting repetitions, and it has proven to be “fun with benefits” for his clients at Steelhead Crossfit gym, Superior Athletic Club and Soul Shine Yoga in Medford.

Although highly-trained martial artists can be violent, even deadly, as portrayed by Hollywood greats like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris, personal trainer Michael Sotos says, “In this setting, we’re not talking about sparring and hitting each other. This is more about using the martial arts for fitness.

However, I do believe people get some selfdefense training out of it. You can’t help but gain self-confidence and an improved sense of personal safety from practicing these techniques.”

Sotos, who owns Rogue Valley Strength & Conditioning in Ashland, uses martial arts moves with at least 75 percent of his clients. “There are so many choices, and each style has its own emphasis. I might use movements from the Brazilian jiu-jitsu during warmups or add Filipino fighting stick drills to the workout, which I equate to turbocharged boxing.”

When using “kali” sticks, two people get into a karate “horse stance” with a stick in each hand, Sotos explains. “Each one turns the stick in a circular motion, hitting the sticks against each other in a particular pattern. There’s a rhythm to it, almost like a kind of drumming. It takes total focus and concentration, so it can be mentally challenging to have a stick coming at you and having to react in a defensive move.

It sounds easy, but it can get complicated.

We just tap the sticks and never do it hard enough for someone to get hurt, but there

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS Though it may seem like a primitive form of combat, martial arts weapons training challenges all components of fitness, including reaction time, speed, power, endurance and balance. It promotes joint mobility in shoulders, elbows, hips and knees, which are key to attaining other fitness goals like agility, flexibility and strength. Most importantly, it is fun and mentally stimulating.

Stick Fighting Kali sticks, popular in Filipino martial arts practices, are slender lengths of lightweight and durable rattan measuring approximately 26 inches in length. Double-stick sparring practice is aerobically challenging because of the weight of the two sticks and the degree of coordination required to execute the intricate geometric patterns used to teach fighters various angles of attack, deflections, traps and passes at different ranges.

Indian Club Swinging Indian clubs, or meels, are bowling-pin shaped wooden clubs of varying sizes and weights, ranging from a few pounds up to 50 pounds each. They are swung in choreographed routines that utilize flowing circular patterns and figure-eight motions. The routines vary according to the practitioner’s ability and the weight of the club. As its name implies, Indian club swinging originated in India where the war club was a feared weapon during ancient times.

Heavy Mace The gada, or heavy mace, was the weapon of choice of Hindu warriors over 2,000 years ago. Primitive versions consisted of a heavy stone with a hole in the middle secured to a length of bamboo. Today, a mace can be a steel ball secured to the end of a shaft, a cement ball on a bamboo pole, gym weights at one end of a barbell, or even a heavy bowling ball attached to the end of a copper or steel pipe. However it is fashioned, swinging the gada or mace is a whole body workout that strengthens the torso, shoulders, forearms and grip. Popular exercises with the mace are the 360 swing (which works the shoulders, chest, back and forearms), the barbarian squat, the dynamic curl and the spear stab.

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FITNESS are times when a misplaced stick can rap a knuckle or land on fingers. It’s great for the reflexes and it definitely keeps you on your toes.”

Though Wolf is a longtime user of martial arts for fitness, he says incorporating some of the traditional weapons practice is a somewhat newer trend. “What you’re getting out of the weapons training is grip strength, shoulder mobility, core strength and balance. Plus, it’s really fun to hit things. It takes the student’s mind away from the fact that it’s work.”

“Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless and add what is specifically your own.” -Bruce Lee Martial arts drills are all about sensory input, Wolf explains. “You’re going to look, touch and feel, get some push and pull, which means more stimulation overall. You might do a simple plank, which doesn’t stimulate the brain by just holding that position.

But when you pop right up and do some punching drills, it becomes more functional as you’re twisting your body and hitting things. There’s a naturalness to throwing and swinging. It can be very cathartic to let go and punch something.”

Research indicates there are neurological benefits from rhythmic motions, crossing

the body’s center, and practicing hand-eye coordination, Sotos says. “I recently saw a video about how they were using boxing for therapy with patients who had Parkinson’s disease, and other research shows that tai chi, kung fu and boxing improves functional capacity, coordination, timing, flexibility and balance, which helps reduce incidents of falling.”

Boxing is a favorite of both trainers and clients, Wolf says. “I like to bring in simple boxing combinations like jabs, crosses and hooks that we can do on the mats as shadow boxing, or use against the bags because it causes lateral movement. When you use the cross, that’s crossing the center line, shifting your weight, and that is what is so good for the brain.

It improves coordination and balance. The same thing happens when you bring in the kali sticks and use them in those crossing movements.”

Though many of the benefits are physical, Wolf says, “In martial arts, it’s about owning the movement, getting a better sense of self and feeling more confident, which brings an overall sense of well-being. I feel that as trainers, we’re using the fun stuff in martial arts without the formal trappings. We give a light touch to some of the philosophical aspects and hope some life lessons might trickle through during training sessions, like don’t beat people up, and that your strength has a purpose, so use it wisely.”

Michael Sotos and John Doty practice kung fu hand drills.

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HEALTH

Variations on a Theme

Acupuncture needling techniques and philosophies can differ

TEXT BY REBECCA SCOTT

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cupuncture has evolved over time, with influences from different countries birthing new styles. Though the most common style is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, some acupuncturists are influenced by or follow other styles, such as Five Element, Japanese and Taiwanese acupuncture. Each type is effective, and the variety reflects the unique culture and history of the region where it began.

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HEALTH Dr. Clark Zimmerman, Middleway Medicine

FIVE ELEMENT

Treating the body, mind, heart and spirit Five Element acupuncture delves into the psychology of a person’s history and focuses on what has impacted the patient’s life on an emotional and spiritual level.

“Acupuncture is the tool I use for treatment, but I also ask about a patient’s happiness, childhood and emotions,” explains Clark Zimmerman, a licensed acupuncturist at Middleway Medicine in Talent.

Traditional Chinese medicine focuses on the physical symptoms, while Five Element acupuncture explores why a patient experiences pain. Zimmerman uses an extensive intake form to discover the physical reasons behind the pain, such as a sports injury or accident, and also how a patient’s emotional and spiritual state contributes to the affected area.

According to Zimmerman, this becomes particularly important when a patient doesn’t know why something hurts or why it won’t go away. “I need to clear away the initial trauma,” says Zimmerman, who often receives referrals from social workers and therapists for people who have experienced abuse or other trauma.

The needling techniques in Five Element acupuncture are gentler than other styles, which is a bonus for people who are afraid of needles. During a typical first appointment, a patient spends about 60 minutes with the needles inserted into the body after reviewing the intake form and patient history.

“Emotional issues affect our physical bodies, so Five Element is good for the body, mind and spirit,” Zimmerman says.

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HEALTH

TAIWANESE A physical medicine

The Master Tung, or Taiwanese-style, of acupuncture was created from the old family systems of acupuncture. It focuses on specific points (known as Tung’s points) and the channels within the body.

Stimulating the nervous system through acupuncture sends out messages to the spine and brain. This in turn tells the brain to release chemicals which can heal the body. “One of the reasons acupuncture works is because it increases the body’s circulation,” explains Dr. Brian Rosenthal, licensed acupuncturist at Rose Acupuncture in Medford.

Because of the interconnectedness of the body, Rosenthal focuses on acupuncture’s physical facets and how the pressure points he uses are part of a bigger picture. A practitioner using Tung’s acupuncture rarely inserts needles where the patient feels pain. “This is good since people usually don’t want to place needles where they’re hurting,” Rosenthal says. For example, a practitioner may insert needles in the legs or feet to treat a headache. Tung’s acupuncture is known for being very safe, as most of the points are located on the extremities.

Understanding how to use Tung’s points and channel relationship allows a practitioner to create unique results for the patient. Stimulating one area of the body to help relieve pain in another is successful because of the connection between the muscles, nervous system and brain. “It’s all part of how the musculature in the body talks to itself,” says Rosenthal.

Rosenthal notes acupuncture can be used for any part of the body, including the organs. “It’s particularly good for pain issues,” Rosenthal explains.

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ISSUES ACUPUNCTURE TREATS The ancient medical practice of acupuncture was developed centuries ago, dating back to 100 B.C. Acupuncture uses needles to stimulate the nervous system and the body’s self-healing properties. Clinical studies have shown acupuncture is an effective treatment for several symptoms or conditions, including the following: Depression Knee pain High blood pressure Morning sickness Stroke

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HEALTH

JAPANESE

Delicate and gentle treatment

“I see acupuncture as treating the whole person. I put a lot of faith in the body’s own healing capacity.”

— Sharon Kraus, acupuncturist

The Japanese style of acupuncture uses thinner needles and a shallower insertion.

“Many types of Japanese acupuncture have refined needling techniques,” notes Sharon Kraus, licensed acupuncturist at Bear Creek Naturopathic Clinic. Being sensitive herself, Kraus understands lighter, more energetic treatments are better for those who are wary of needles.

Practitioners use sharper needles, resulting in a gentler needling and less pain for the patient. The needles do not pierce deeply into the skin. Japanese acupuncture focuses on the area on or just below the skin. This area is rich with nerves sending messages to the brain, making it a powerful area to work. Because of this, needles are inserted between 1-5 millimeters, as opposed to 1-5 centimeters in traditional Chinese medicine.

Japanese acupuncture uses touch as a

means to judge the insertion point of the needle. This method stems from the techniques of blind acupuncturists in ancient Japan.

Kraus learned of the intricacies of Japanese acupuncture while in Hawaii studying under a Japanese master. “What was once two-dimensional became alive for me,” explains Kraus. “I learned what was happening in the physiology and why it made sense.”

In her own practice, Kraus incorporates the Japanese theory of root and branch treatments to help her patients. A root treatment determines the underlying cause of the symptoms presented by the patient. The branch treatment follows, which directly addresses the symptoms.

“I see acupuncture as treating the whole person. I put a lot of faith in the body’s own healing capacity,” she says.

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PAMPER

Priming the

MERIDIAN SYSTEM

Shiatsu massage promotes health and well-being TEXT BY HALEY STRAHAN

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hiatsu is a Japanese practice based in ancient Asian medicine that can aid anything from temporary aches and pains to chronic conditions, enthusiasts claim.

Similar in tradition to acupuncture, shiatsu focuses on pressure points that are thought to stimulate various systems of the body to function better and regenerate healthy cells.

“Shiatsu is different from other massage in that it focuses on the meridian system versus simply muscles,” explains Steven Glaser, licensed massage therapist at Ashland Center of Asian Bodywork. The concept of the meridian system comes from an idea in Chinese medicine which asserts that energy, or qi, flows through several specific pathways in the body. “A meridian is like a river bank and energy is the water,” Glaser says. “Too much water and the banks will wash away; too little water, it cannot flow at all. With shiatsu, we try to find the balance of energy to allow the clear flow of energy.”

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The 12 meridians are governed by lines of tissue and muscles, so practitioners use focused pressure and massage in various areas of the body to impact them accordingly.

How does this focus on the meridian system translate into the massage experience? “The method of massage varies depending on the practitioner,” says David Kaminker, licensed acupuncturist at Sage Medicine in Ashland. “Shiatsu can be aggressive and invigorating, or gentle and slow.” In fact, there are several different traditions of shiatsu, all of which have different styles and methods. “We follow the Zen philosophy, which is a slower and gentler modality,” Kaminker explains. Other styles include koho sshiatsu (the style practiced by Glaser), and ashiatsu, which is performed by walking on the client’s back. In contrast to other massage forms, the client typically remains lightly clothed and lays on the floor to receive treatment.

People seek shiatsu massage for a variety of reasons, from simple relaxation to relief from pain and chronic conditions.

“Most people would benefit in some way from incorporating shiatsu into their life,” Glaser says. “Essentially, we are seeking to support the body so that it can self-heal and function at its best level.” But because shiatsu is informed by the meridian

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PAMPER theory, the plan of care might not be so simple as, for instance, focusing treatment on an area of the neck where pain is occurring. “If a client broke a big toe, because of how the body relates, I might work on the shoulder to help the healing system as a whole, without exacerbating the pain of the injury.” Glaser says that he has seen great results with clients from even one session. “I treated one man who had been experiencing a frozen shoulder for a year and a half.

After one massage, he had full range of motion.” Other clients benefit from recurring sessions, particularly those experiencing symptoms of serious injury or conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or autoimmune illnesses.

In addition to its therapeutic applications, shiatsu massage is praised by many practitioners for its preventative health benefits. “It’s one of the best modalities for sedating the nerves and inducing the parasympathetic nervous system,” Kaminker notes. “In other words, it allows the body to enter the rest-and-digest phase, which is where all the healing and regenerating can occur.”

Shiatsu is also noted for its ability to relieve stress, as practitioners are required to be present and intentional, remaining connected to the client’s energy, which creates a meditative atmosphere in the session. Ultimately, shiatsu massage can be tailored to the client’s specific needs. As Glaser explains, “The key is to free the body up to work toward its own well-being.”

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NATURAL

Kombucha Culture

Goes Mainstream

Tea-based beverage is awash in probiotics

TEXT BY SARAH LEMON

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teeping tea with copious quantities of cane sugar is an unlikely recipe for health. But the beverage’s key ingredient — yeast-bacteria culture — makes all the difference in kombucha.

Touted for its probiotic properties, kombucha is a faintly fizzy swap for soda pop and the latter’s synthetic chemicals.

Distinguished by its sour flavor, kombucha also offers a slightly alcoholic alternative to beer, wine or spirits. “It’s like a mild form of drinking,” says Ashland resident Lorrie LeSage.

“It doesn’t taste real sweet like a soda pop; it’s just an unusual flavor.”

That flavor rarely was relished a decade ago, when LeSage started brewing kombucha at home. Despite kombucha’s reputation as a digestive tonic, first-time tasters typically suffered just a sip. “They would pretty much turn up their nose,” says the certified Oregon State University Master Food Preserver.

Yet as fermented foods have gained a following with more Americans, kombucha’s profile has risen, along with appreciation for kefir, sauerkraut and other ancient methods of preservation recently cited as healthy. “People in this culture have just not been familiar with the fermentation process,” says LeSage. “You’re getting organisms that are predigesting.”

During lacto-fermentation, bacteria colonize food and feed on naturally occurring sugars and starches. These “good” microorganisms multiply, excreting acids and transforming milk, fruits, meats, grains and vegetables into versions that the human body digests more easily than the originals. Bonus byproducts are health-promoting enzymes and biochemical conditions that discourage the presence of harmful bacteria in food and the human digestive tract.

A plethora of familiar fare, including cheese, yogurt, sourdough bread, coffee and chocolate, wouldn’t exist without fermentation. And many millennia-old cultures, even those with little scientific knowledge of the world’s molecular scale, rely on fermentation to slow foodstuffs’ decay in the absence of refrigeration.

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Some substances become even more prized the longer they ferment. Sauerkraut becomes tangier, cheese more pungent, wine more complex.

In the case of kombucha, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast — known as “SCOBY” among brewers — converts the tea solution’s sugar into acetic and gluconic acids, says LeSage.

“It’s a kind of vinegar.”

Kombucha contains a very low level of alcohol that often increases after its transfer to bottles, where it continues to ferment. Under federal law, a beverage must contain less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume to be “nonalcoholic” and exempt from regulation.

Government regulators removed kombucha from store shelves several years ago because alcohol exceeded

Make Your Own Kombucha Brewing kombucha requires an active starter tea and symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY). Starter kits are widely available online.

For each gallon-size batch of kombucha, Ashland resident Lorrie LeSage combines five tea bags — three black and two green — and 1 cup of organic cane sugar. She cautions against herbal teas and liquid sweeteners, such as honey and agave.

In a quart or more of hot water, dissolve the sugar and steep the tea bags. LeSage adds cold water to the concentrated tea until the total liquid quantity measures 3 1/2 quarts. Remove tea bags. The solution must cool to room temperature (68-85 degrees) before the addition of 2 cups starter tea and the scoby.

Allow kombucha to stand at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for a week to 10 days. When it reaches a pleasant balance of sweetness and tartness, measure out starter tea for another batch, remove the scoby and transfer kombucha to bottles. Scoby must be returned to the next batch of kombucha or stored in a batch of tea base in the refrigerator.

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NATURAL

acceptable levels, says LeSage. Some brewers responded by pasteurizing their kombucha, primarily to halt fermentation and alcohol production, rather than for food-safety reasons, she says. “I have actually never had a batch go bad on me,” says LeSage. “It’s just common sense.”

Contaminated kombucha will have very obvious, fuzzy mold growth and must be discarded, says LeSage.

Maintaining the proper pH — lower than 4 by Food and Drug Administration standards — ensures safe consumption, she says.

Pasteurization, which neutralizes pathogens by exposing them to heat, also kills any beneficial bacteria present in foods. That means probiotics are virtually nonexistent in pasteurized kombucha, says LeSage.

Unpasteurized kombucha commonly is labeled “raw.” It’s an essential element of Rogue Kombucha, brewed and bottled in Southern Oregon. Only organic ingredients, including a variety of herbs and botanicals, are used in the company’s small batches, says Rogue Kombucha owner Chris Leach. “The bigger kombucha companies are using extracts,” he says, explaining that extracts have little medicinal value.

A hefty dose of wellness comes with Rogue Kombucha’s rosehips, tulsi, lavender, turmeric, crimson clover, nettles and ginger. Infusing his kombucha with herbs after the beverage has fermented, Leach produces Rogue’s “June Bug” and “Balance” blends, in addition to the unflavored “In the Raw.” A lemon-yerba mate recipe will join Rogue’s lineup early this year, along with “IPK,” a hopped kombucha reminiscent of an IPA. “It tastes more like a grapefruit soda,” says Leach.

The taste of his kombucha first wowed customers four years ago at the Grants Pass Growers Market, says Leach. A home-brewing hobby became Leach’s business model after his grant-funded teaching position at a Josephine County charter school expired. Leach soon expanded brewing from 3-gallon batches in Walmart cookie jars to stainless-steel tanks for fermenting wine. “It’s growing so fast.”

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FEBRUARY 9

Events Calendar

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CHOCOLATE LOVE 6:30 P.M. – 9 P.M. • ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP, 237 N. FIRST ST., ASHLAND CONTACT INFO: 541.482.2237 Chocolate with health benefits?

Sign up to learn about the health-giving properties found in cacao as well as sugar-free and low blood sugar impact variations for all recipes.

Clinical Nutritionist and Whole Foods Chef Julianne Soteriou teaches easy-to-prepare recipes, such as Raw Cacao Truffles.

Limited seats. Fee is $35 for members, $40 for nonmembers.

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LUCKY ROOSTER 5K FUN RUN 9 A.M. – NOON • BIGHAM KNOLL CAMPUS, JACKSONVILLE CONTACT INFO: facebook.com/SOCCAChineseNewYear/ Join the 10th Annual Chinese New Year race through the historic neighborhoods of Jacksonville. All participants receive a Lucky Rooster charm. The top three male and female winners receive prizes donated by Harry & David.

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DISCOVER MERMAIDING 5:45 P.M. – 7:15 P.M. • ROGUE AQUATICS, 6022 CRATER LAKE AVE., CENTRAL POINT CONTACT INFO: 541.830.5551 A fun way to channel your inner mermaid. The class is for adults and kids 6 years old and up who can demonstrate the ability to swim 15 yards of the crawl stroke, dolphin kick and float. Mermaid tails provided. The fee is $40.

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FEBRUARY

Events Calendar

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TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN: FRAUDS, SCAMS & CONS: A FREE PARENT EDUCATION DAY DON’T BE A VICTIM 8 A.M. – 3:30 P.M. 6 P.M. – 8 P.M. • THE CRATERIAN THEATER, • SANTO COMMUNITY CENTER, 701 N. 23 SOUTH CENTRAL AVE., MEDFORD COLUMBUS AVE., MEDFORD CONTACT INFO: facebook.com/wwwthefamilyconnectorg CONTACT INFO: www.playmedford.com, Keynote speakers, skill-building activities and 541.774.2400 workshops related to parenting are provided at no Led by instructor Ron Kohl, gain an cost by the generous contributions from SOAEYC, understanding of how scammers lure Allcare, The Family Connection, Providence, prospects into their cons. Learn safety JacksonCare Connect, Primary Health and other tips, how to report scams, and key community members. Limited transportation and word alerts. Sponsored by Medford child care options are available. Participants who Parks and Recreation, the fee is $12 stay for the full day will receive a gift bag and for residents and $18 for nonresidents. parenting book.

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GIRLS ROCK! 8:30 A.M. – 3 P.M. • GRANTS PASS HIGH SCHOOL. 830 NE 9TH ST, GRANTS PASS CONTACT INFO: facebook.com/ events/583698811817994/ A free day of empowering workshops for girls 9-13 years old accompanied by an adult.

The hands-on workshops relate to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) topics.

This year’s workshops focus on electricity and power.

Campfire Gourmet Who’s the

in your family?

Mailtribune.com/contests

Oregon Healthy Living wants to know your favorite camping meals. Go to Mailtribune.com/contests and tell us your favorite camping recipe for a chance to win one of six $100 gift cards to our local sponsors.

Selected recipes will appear in the April issue of Oregon Healthy Living.

Sponsored by: Crater Chain Saw, Rogue Valley Zip Line Adventure, Rogue Rafting Co., Josephine County Parks, Triple A R.V. Center, Army Navy Marine Store

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